No More Yard Sales?

I just found out some disturbing news. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act is set to go into effect February 10, 2009. Here is some facts that I learned from Liz:

• Any item being made for anyone 12 and under must go through third party testing to test for the presence of lead
• Any item being made for anyone 3 and under must also go through third party testing for the presence of phthalates
• ALL products being sold after February 10, 2009 must meet these standards and be labeled as such
• This includes ALL items manufactured prior to February 10, 2009
• Regardless of testing of item components the FINAL product must also be tested
• This will include any items sold at thrift store, consignment stores, ebay, craigslist, etsy, and yard/tag sales
• Millions of items will have to be cleared from the shelves of stores and sent to the landfill, as they will not be allowed to donate these goods either
• Thousands of stores and small business will close shop
• The price of clothing and toys (new) for children will go up, but there will be no where to buy anything used, at least not for a significant period of time
• There has been no attempt to make testing accessible for small businesses and manufacturers who wish to be compliant
• There has been no clear communication with regards to what is really required, by whom and when

I do understand the intent of this law/act is to protect our children, but sadly it is horribly short sighted.

I have already written my local congressman and encourage you to do the same. Please get the word out because this will negatively affect our economy and those less fortunate than us who depend on thrift stores for their children's clothing. Here is a link to find out who your congressman is.