PDA

View Full Version : Not just jewelry w/ the cadmium...



brittone2
01-15-2010, 05:53 PM
Just got this in my inbox. Heck, I think we handed these out one year for Halloween (in a loot bag) or something remarkably similar.

http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/toys/product.details.php?getrecno=14928

Other cadmium containing kid items/toys:
http://www.healthystuff.org/departments/toys/product.chemical-detect.php?rank=high

I know manufacturers often dispute the findings of tests like the ones done by healthytoys, etc. but when we have so little else to go on, I at least feel like it gives us *something* in terms of toys that may potentially have concerns.

citymama
01-15-2010, 06:24 PM
Yikes about the erasers! We have a bunch from Halloween too!

I'm assuming the classic mardi gras beads also contain some nasty stuff? We have sooo many from various parades, street fairs, etc. and I can't imagine they are responsibly made.

Thanks for sharing!

brittone2
01-15-2010, 06:41 PM
Yikes about the erasers! We have a bunch from Halloween too!

I'm assuming the classic mardi gras beads also contain some nasty stuff? We have sooo many from various parades, street fairs, etc. and I can't imagine they are responsibly made.

Thanks for sharing!

There was a documentary on one of our local public access stations about the making of Mardi Gras beads. It really was an eye opener...definitely not responsibly made...at least the production of those for this particular documentary. We have some too, FWIW, but if you are curious:

http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/568/Mardi-Gras---Made-in-China (http://www.cultureunplugged.com/play/568/Mardi-Gras---Made-in-China)

Eta: this mostly focuses on labor practices, but I'm sure there are also concerns about content. Like I said, we have some in our dressup collection right now, but it was a really eye opening documentary.

MommyAllison
01-15-2010, 06:45 PM
Yikes. That is ridiculous - even in clothing?! And I never thought about the mardi gras type beads - my parents have some that my niece loves to play with and they go in her mouth all the time. Thanks for the heads up!

s7714
01-15-2010, 07:48 PM
Wow, I'm pretty sure we got some of those erasers this year. Luckily I think most of them have been thrown out already.

I'm scared to watch the thing about the mardi gras beads being made. We have tons of those things.

scrooks
01-15-2010, 08:52 PM
This is scary! I always wonder about erasers and little things when I shop in that dollar section at Target. They always have cute things for a dollar but they all say "made in china" and I wonder how well (or if they were) tested.....

brittone2
01-15-2010, 10:00 PM
Just to be clear, from what I remember of the Mardi Gras documentary, it is mostly focused on labor practices. If I remember right, I think they show the employees being exposed to nasty fumes that were not supposed to be leaking out of one of the machines...I think used to extrude the styrene or something? It has been probably a year and a half or longer since I saw that so I 'm not 100% sure.

But when you see the factory conditions and then consider that Mardi Gras beads probably aren't held to any sort of child safety standards since they aren't a "toy", I wouldn't be confident in what they use in the paint, etc. (but like I said, we have some too!). THe actual documentary is definitely more about the labor practices, etc. I don't remember much about the content of the actual beads...if they address that it definitely wasn't/isn't the focus. I've never seen the whole thing start to finish...I tuned in part way into the documentary when it ran on TV here.

DrSally
01-15-2010, 10:22 PM
Yes, I just got that msg. too. We have those pumpkin erasers from Target (not the same bag as pictured, but the exact same looking erasers). I was saving them for next year, but gave one to DS to use. I threw it away tonight.

jent
01-15-2010, 10:41 PM
Crap. Not only do we have those erasers (bought from Target), we gave them out as prizes at our Halloween party. I guess I should email the guest list and tell them to throw away any left. And we had tons left over so there have been several floating around the house since October.

hellokitty
01-15-2010, 10:45 PM
OK, now I am paranoid about any of these kind of cutesy erasers. My kids get them in goody bags all of the time. I think i am going to go through their desk and throw all of them out...

vonfirmath
01-16-2010, 02:16 AM
Enh. We'll see.

healthystuff.org had a lot of "false alarms" right before christmas.