Posted on 08/15/2007 7:53:38 PM PDT by JACKRUSSELL
(OTTAWA) - Fears of shoddy and dangerous toys pouring into Canada from China are prompting parents across the country to seek safer alternatives following a large-scale recall announced by Mattel this week. But many are finding it's a nearly impossible task because the majority of the world's toys come from China.
"It's really difficult to find anything," said Keely Dennis, mother of a one-year-old boy in Vancouver. "It's really hard to find toys that aren't made in China that are age-appropriate, and are just cool, that your kid will play with."
For the second time in two weeks, the toy giant began recalling millions of Chinese-made toys over concerns that small parts could pose choking hazards and that excessive amounts of lead may be present. This is the latest in a string of problems that are raising doubts over the safety and quality of Chinese products, including toothpaste and pet food.
But parents trying to avoid potentially risky imports are having a hard time keeping Chinese-made products out of their children's toy boxes. An estimated 80 per cent of the world's toys are made in China, and even many European or North American companies that appear to offer safer alternatives produce many of their toys in China.
Now even all-natural and organic toy retailers that tout their products as safe are finding out how hard it is to escape the ubiquitous made-in-China label.
"A lot of my toys do say that they're designed in a certain country but made in China," said Dana Johnson, who runs Florida-based Three Sisters Toys, which describes itself as an all-natural toy retailer. "Quite frankly, I'm still in the process of trying to get in touch with some of the manufacturers."
It was only after the recent spate of toy recalls that Baby Naturopathics, a Hamilton, Ont.-based online retailer specializing in natural and organic baby products, realized it's also selling products made in China.
"The manufacturers do not advertise this. They present themselves as being entirely made in Europe," said Cindy Cho, part-owner of the business. "Then, only when you look at the box do you realize that maybe that's not the case or if you do research online."
The company is now struggling to figure out what to do and is considering no longer buying products from any manufacturer that produces goods in China.
"Unfortunately, we found out that quite a few European toys are made in China as well," Cho said. "A few years ago that wasn't the case. Increasingly, more companies are making their products in China. We're going to have to re-evaluate."
Mattel's most recent toy recall is serving to fuel a larger backlash against products made in China, which could have a lasting impact on the economy if the situation doesn't improve, according to Paul Beamish, director of the Asian Management Institute at the University of Western Ontario's Richard Ivey School of Business in London, Ont.
"If this problem persists, if we see a whole lot of ongoing product recalls from China, then it has much greater implications for consumers because they will stop, at the extreme, or reduce their purchasing, or start looking for alternative sources," he said. "The big thing that has to change is more rigorous and vigorous enforcement of the quality standards that already exist."
For parents like Dennis, the recent safety scares involving Chinese-made products are both disheartening and frightening.
"The first thing it makes me think is these companies are only thinking about money. They want to make money, they're outsourcing their manufacturing and basically contributing to exploitation," Dennis said.
It's also frustrating that China is producing nearly all of the toys on store shelves in today's marketplace, even if they aren't meeting North American quality and safety standards. It's a reality she hopes will change soon.
"I think that if we can force these companies to change the way they manufacture and market their toys, other companies will follow suit as well," she said. "Unless you make the toys yourself, what are your kids going to play with?"
Gee....I wonder what kids did BEFORE China made toys????
Sorry, toys would not copy and paste for some reason
My Grandfather gave me a pocketknife when I was 6 and I got a Kadet Trainer Rifle. We lived in the country, next to a farm. Wouldn’t trade it for anything. My Mom and Dad still have some of the wooden toys that we had back in the dark ages.
The more our gov’t embraces socialistic controls on industry the harder it is for American companies to survive with American labor. In order for toy makers to survive they MUST outsource the manufacture and labor to China and other countries with essentially forced labor.
What’s even more interesting is that at least with my kids. Once they get the toy open, (usually a big pain in the ass) they play with it for ten minutes and it goes into the toy box never to be played with again.
Plus, he paid me a penny apiece to pick up the nails that had been dropped in the yard during construction. A bit of searching each Saturday led to a nice walk to Kundel's grocery for a Bing Bar and an Orange Crush.
Grandma was also a seamstress, so I had boxes and boxes of Barbie clothes made from her excess fabric. Dozens of suits, ballgowns, swimsuits...Barbie was living the high life!
Toys from China? Are you kidding?
There were never any 'toys.' Or TV.
But if you were growing up on a farm the entertainment never ended...
I do recall more than anything that all the best teachers were nuns, in the public school system, and they wore the whole regalia in school.
Funny thing about those nuns, although we had the same ones in catechism on the weekends as we did in public school, the school was the hard part.
We were held to a standard, and no one ever failed.
“Unless you make the toys yourself, what are your kids going to play with?”
Well...
http://www.boycottmadeinchina.org/en/boycott_hub/alternative_shopping/
http://www.stillmadeinusa.com/toysngames.html
There. Problem solved.
Just like Og and Eek used to do with nothing but a stone axe and bits of bark.
My girls still have the wooden toys my father made them. They wouldn’t give them up for the world. Maybe this will lead to something good.
I don't recall having as many toys back in the late 60's/early 70's when I was a kid. Kids today have too much stuff.
” They wouldn’t give them up for the world. Maybe this will lead to something good.’
I’m sorry, but one of your sentences has ‘lead’ in it. Wouldn’t want readers to get lead poisoning, would you?
In the late ‘40s, my toys were....
an electric train
Dagwood Bumstead cardboard figures
tricycle
Li’l Abner windup piano player
teddy bear
Jeepers Creepers
Fiddlesticks
Tinker Toys
Lincoln Logs
....actually, quite a bit of stuff.
Gee....I wonder what kids did BEFORE China made toys????
______________________________________________________
Went outside and played hide and seek, tag, made our own kites, played baseball, etc.
Made in USA
ussstuff.com
madeinusa.com
stillmadeinusa.com
Try school lunch boxes. I don’t know where to get ones not made in China.
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