New Federal Standard to improve safety of infant slings takes effect
February 1, 2018, cpsc.gov
A new federal standard aimed at making sling carriers safer is now in effect. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) approved the standard to prevent deaths and injuries to young children. The new standard applies to any infant sling carrier manufactured or imported after January 30th 2018.
UK Toy market decreases in 2017 amid concerns about counterfeit toys
January 23, 2018, Toy Fair
UK toy sales decreased by 2.8% in 2017 to £3.4bn. Factors that have contributed to this dip in the market include under-performing licenses, the impact of Brexit (particularly last year’s impact on Sterling), plus the ever-growing concern of counterfeit toys, according to the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) and the NPD Group. The announcement follows three consecutive years of growth and a particularly strong year in 2016 and, despite the small decline, still positions the UK as the largest market in Europe.
New York Bill would regulate chemicals in kids’ products
February 1, 2018, The Forum News Group
Legislation aimed at protecting children from toxic exposure by allowing the New York State Department of Environmental Conversation to regulate, and in cases of significant public health concern, ban the use of some dangerous chemicals in children’s products, is making its way through the Assembly, according to Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato (D-Howard Beach), a co-sponsor of the bill. The proposed law amends the Environmental Conservation Law “to better regulate the use of toxic chemicals in children’s products and establishes an infrastructure within State government to categorize chemicals of concerns along with requiring disclosures by children’s products manufacturers as to whether their products contain chemicals of concern.”
The U.S. Patent system is broken, says the inventor of the hoverboard
January 31, 2018, Forbes
Meet the inventor of the hoverboard who lost millions to Chinese counterfeiters.
Shane Chen stormed out of CES a few weeks ago in all out exasperation. His wife was at his side, crying. As they were setting up their exhibit for the first day of the trade show they noticed, all around them, companies setting up booths to showcase products that were blatant rip-offs of Chen’s landmark hoverboard.
Button battery regulation looms if manufacturers don’t up safety, Consumer Minister says
February 2, 2018, New Zealand Herald
If the number of children landing in Starship hospital after swallowing button batteries does not plummet this year, the Government is considering legislating against them. Consumer Affairs Minister Kris Faafoi announced businesses and button battery manufacturers will be given the chance to make the product safer before the Government steps in.
Many second hand plastic toys could pose a risk to children’s health, study suggests
February 1, 2018, Science Daily
The plastic used in many second hand toys could pose a risk to children’s health because it may not meet the most up to date international safety guidelines, according to new research published in Environmental Science and Technology. Scientists from the University of Plymouth analysed 200 used plastic toys which they found in homes, nurseries and charity shops across the South West of England.
Prop. 65: California coffee shops may be required to display cancer warnings: report
February 1, 2018, The Hill
Coffee shops in California may soon be required to post notices warning customers that drinking the beverage could come with a cancer risk. CNN reported that a number of companies that sell coffee, most recently 7-Eleven, have settled in a lawsuit first brought in 2010 arguing that businesses have failed to notify customers of the presence of a chemical in coffee that can possibly lead to cancer.
Complaint waged against Indiana baby box
February 1, 2018, wishtv.com
An anti-baby boxes group has filed a complaint with the Allen County Building Department that alleges the box at the Woodburn Fire Department was put in illegally. “We know for a fact that these so-called ‘baby boxes’ have never been put before a single regulatory agency, or have ever received a single regulatory compliance approval,” plaintiffs wrote in their complaint. “The agencies that must be contacted, and approved by, are the Underwriters Laboratory, The Federal Food And Drug Administration, and The Consumer Product Safety Commission. For installation in Woodburn — or in any building — the UL Listed, and the FDA regulatory compliance are a must have, and fully documented.
TUVtel introduces human environment relations
February 1, 2018, PR Newswire
TUV Rheinland Taiwan has created a more lively version of the TUVtel children’s magazine edited by its German head office. On January 23 they were in Taipei once again invited to visit the Rixin Elementary School and Kindergarten, founded a century ago, to put on a performance as part of the “TUV Rheinland Safety Hero” program.
Recycling dilemma: China’s stricter standards impacting local communities
January 31, 2018, Wicked Local: Brookline, MA
China, a major importer of recyclables, imposed new restrictions on scrap imports at the start of 2018. THE IMPACT: Prices of recyclable scrap materials have dropped, raising the cost of recycling operations for plant owners, which eventually will mean increased costs for municipalities.
