Green Options

Yet another victory and more good news for toy safety happened to day, with a judge ruling that toys and baby products with pthalates must be removed from the shelves.

“Today’s victory gives parents the certainty Congress tried to provide in the first place – that their children are safe from harmful chemicals in their toys,” said Aaron Colangelo, NRDC attorney. “This is a big win for children’s health and consumer safety.”

The NRDC filed a lawsuit against the CPSC in December after a loophole had been proposed to allow companies to continue selling pthalate-laden products so long as they were made prior to the ban date.

To quote Dora - “WE DID IT!”

The CPSC has granted a one year stay for the CPSIA mandatory testing requirements that were going to make February 10, 2009 Bankrupt Day for probably hundreds of thousands of businesses in the United States, as well as forcing many European distributors out of the country.

A common theme on Eco Child’s Play is toy safety. We like to tell you about safe, natural toys, as well as the latest news in toy product safety.

That’s why we find the latest efforts to keep our children safe by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) alarming, as it will actually prevent safe, natural toys from small companies from reaching the US market.

Due to under staffing at the CPSC and the flurry of toy recalls that have occurred, the agency passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in August, 2008. At first glance, this seems like good legislation, as it bans lead and phthalates in toys, mandates third-party testing and certification for all toys and requires toy makers to permanently label each toy with a date and batch number.  Such requirements will be easy to fund for large toy companies; however, small independent natural toy companies will not be able survive these extra requirements. 

Neither of my children used a pacifier, well that’s not entirely true. My son used one for two weeks after having open heart surgery, but it quickly disappeared on the car ride home from the hospital.  Many of my friends use pacifiers with their children to help them self-soothe, and there has been research supporting pacifiers help prevent SIDS.  Fortunately, parents today have a choice in providing their children with pacifiers made from safer plastics.

Born Free was one of the first companies I encountered that offered BPA-free baby bottles and sippy cups. Now, Born Free is providing parents with BornFree BPA-free Pacifiers for Day and Night too!  These pacifiers come in two sizes for ages 0-6 months and 6 + months.  Made from materials that are 100% free of bisphenol-A, phthalates and PVC, these pacifiers feature a flexible handle,  orthodontic silicone nipple, and a breathable shield. Gil Lemel, founder and CEO of BornFree explains, “BornFree is committed to only providing BPA-Free products.  Our goal is to offer a smart and safe alternative for the entire family.  The pacifier is the first of many products that will soon be available in our new orthodontic line.”

Sarah Smarsh and Simran Sethi are writing a series on the impacts of everyday things. They will be posting previews on Green Options before launching the posts on Huffington Post.

Who doesn’t feel better after a yoga class? Yoga is the union of the body, mind and spirit.It stabilizes the nervous system, decreases blood pressure, increases flexibility and endurance, and opens you up in ways that you may not have imagined.

Simran used to be a yoga teacher. She loves the practice even though she hasn’t spent much time on her mat lately. (“Yoga on the inside, baby!”) Sarah gets her yoga on every week and knows it does her body good.

But, as any student knows, the real practice starts when you walk out the door. That’s also where the rubber hits the road and your practice takes its toll on the environment.

Oh brother, that again? Yes, my dear yogin, that.

Last September, we reported that food additives and colorings were linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children. In fact, all children are affected, not just those who develop ADHD.  Despite calls from activists to ban artificial food dyes, many of which are derived from petroleum and coal tars, the FDA insists they are safe.  Now, the UK is taking these concerns seriously and calling for voluntary ban by next year.