Toy and houseware manufacturing is changing in response to increasing consumer concerns that makes them seek eco-friendly products. Toy production has been particularly impacted by government legislation addressing materials used in manufacturing as a result of the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) enacted in USA. Enacted in August 2008, the legislative bill primarily targets 'children's products' defined as any consumer product designed or intended principally for children 12 years of age or younger. The new law reduces the lead allowed in surface coatings/paint to 90 ppm (from the current 600 ppm limit) effective August 2009 and additionally reduces the total lead content in children's products to 100 ppm by August 2011 (600 ppm by 2/2009; 300 ppm by 8/2009). These limits apply to products on retailer's shelves on the dates indicated. As of February 2009, it is unlawful to manufacture, distribute, or import any children's toy or childcare article that contains the phthalates DEHP (di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate), DBP (Di-n-butyl phthalate) or BBP (benzyl butyl phthalate) at concentrations above 0.1%. This legislation also prohibits in any children's toy, which can be put in a child's mouth or childcare articles in general, the phthalates DINP (Di-isononyl phthalate), DIDP (Diisodecyl phthalate) and DnOP (Di-n-octyl phthalate) at concentrations above 0.1%. Failure to comply can result in significant fines and even jail time for some violations. The law requires that every manufacturer of a product subject to the CPSIA provide a 'General Conformity Certificate' certifying, that the product manufactured on or after November 2008 complies with all safety requirements. Children's products are singled out by this Act for third party testing with a specified testing schedule as follows: Test Standard Accreditation Procedure Publication Third Party Testing Required Lead Paint 22 September 2008 21 December 2008 Cribs and Pacifiers 22 October 2008 20 January 2009 Small Parts 17 November 2008 15 February 2009 Baby Bouncers, Walkers, and Jumpers March 2009 June 2009 300 ppm Lead Content May 2009 August 2009 CPSC Children's Product Safety Rules June 2009 September 2009 Many manufacturers of toys and houseware have been developing products that are eco-friendly and CPSIA compliant with some turning to wood-plastic composites as a means of reducing their dependence on petrochemical based plastics. One new family of materials finding application in toy manufacturing is a biocomposite thermoplastic developed by Canadian custom compounder JER Envirotech in cooperation with Canada's National Research Council (NRC). This patented technology utilizes waste or by-product materials (such as wood fiber or rice hull) to produce a range of environmentally friendly products. These products feature the durability of plastic and the appearance and workability of wood. The biocomposite technology produces a long life material having resistance to rot, mold and insects, and is strong, water-resistant and warp-free. The patented technology and proprietary production processes allow it to create injection molding formulas with fiber loadings between 30-50% and masterbatch formulas with up to 60% fiber loadings. Depending on the end-use requirements, maple, oak, pine, or rice hull fiber materials are combined with primary and/or recycled thermoplastics including polyolefins and polystyrene. Lower molding temperatures are necessary when molding this sustainable product, which provides added benefits to the molders by way of energy savings up to 30%. Other toy and houseware manufacturers are turning to eco-friendly recycled plastic materials.To assist customers, PolyOne Corporation has created the 'PolyOne Sustainable Solutions' mark which denotes products or services meeting defined sustainability standards in areas of renewability, recyclability, reusability and eco-conscious composition, or resource efficiency. The achievement of vivid colors typically called for in toys or the soft pastels used in housewares can be a challenge when using recycled plastic. Custom colors designed by PolyOne are assisting customers to meet their color requirements while also helping with CPSIA compliance by developing a group of materials which meet the criteria for regulatory compliance under its Sustainable Solutions Mark. Rolco Inc recently launched a new line of board game pieces composed of JERtech thermoplastic biocomposite compounds. Sprig Toys Inc. focuses on creating a line of battery-free, eco-friendly, paint-free, kid-powered toys. Green Toys Inc. produces eco-friendly toys ( tool sets, cookware, dinner/tea sets, sand play sets, trucks) that are molded from HDPE recycled milk containers and packaged in boxes made of recycled cardboard without the use of secondary cellophane packaging material. Last years’ “Green House” Design Awards winners were chosen from hundred of entries vying for recognition as the best designed products of the year. The winners were: Batten Industries Nellie’s PVC-Free Dryerballs Nellie's second generation Dryerballs are now PVC free and are made from a TPR material that is not harmful to factory workers during processing and is readily recyclable. PVC-free dryerballs eliminate the need for chemical fabric softeners and dryer sheets while reducing drying time 15-25%, thus saving energy. Electrolux UltraSilencer Green UltraSilencer Green, an environmentally friendlier vacuum cleaner is designed to help consumers clean greener without sacrificing performance. It is built with 55% recycled plastic, mostly from shredded cars and building a sleek canister vacuum with high-performance and power. Energy-efficient and compatible, it uses 9 amps of power at a reduced noise level. NextLife RainStore The “Green Team” at NextLife has completely reengineered the pedestrian “rain barrel” from the bottom up to maximize rainwater collection and reuse, while minimizing wasteful environmental behavior. The design includes a self-watering planter on top sets a new standard. NextLife went an eco-step further by incorporating at least 40% high-quality, post-consumer recycled plastic into every “RainStore;” thereby, alleviating the stress on our overburdened landfills as well as our shrinking supply of fresh water. (Source: Omnexus)