Who's Killing Children's Resale?

At the last meeting of Wausau's sustainability action committee, the Comission for a Greener Tomorrow (www.gogreencentralwisconsin.com), the woman sitting next to me volunteered some shocking news.

"There's a new law that's going to destroy the children's resale industry," she announced. "It's going to be illegal to sell used children's toys and even clothing."

WHAT?

If you know me at all, you know I'm a big fan of resale. And children's resale in particular. Because children grow so fast, they're always needing new clothes and other things. Buying used cuts way down on the environmental cost of procuring these items, helps keep consumables out of the landfill, and is a godsend for lower-income families trying to keep up with their kids' ever-changing needs. I had to follow up on this one.

Unfortunately, it turns out it's 95% true. Technically it won't be illegal to sell used children's items, but it might as well be.

Consumer Product Safety Commission's Folly

You see, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in its infinite wisdom, passed a law that is supposed to protect children from the dangers of chemical poisoning. Everyone's favorite political bozo, past President George W. Bush, signed the well-meaning but pinheaded Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (H.R. 4040) into law last August 14. The law goes into effect February 10, 2009.

The law states that any children's items will need to be tested. Toys with high lead content and clothing and accessories with a high percentages of lead or phthalates in zippers, snaps, buttons or other closures will be banned from sale or distribution. That includes virtually everything - including shoes and books.

Vendors of items not meeting the new standards will be subject to prosecution - including resale outlets. And it's not limited to retail used clothing stores, either. It includes charities and other nonprofits - and YOU, if you have any plans to hold a garage sale next spring.

Uncle Sam Has a Screw Loose on This One

Now, I'm definitely in favor of protecting children from excessive chemical exposure. And I can see the logic of requiring items with untested paint, etc. to be pulled from the shelves. But in this case Uncle Sam is going off the deep end.

In a time when food pantry shelves are rapidly emptying and unemployment skyrocketing, the last thing this nation's children need is additional financial burden on their families. And that's what this law will provide. If it is allowed to go into effect, the results will be devastating:

• Many resale shops depend heavily upon the sale of children's items and will be forced to close their doors.
• Low-income families will no longer have access to readily available, affordable good-quality merchandise and will become even more financially stressed.
• The disposal of unsalable items will put additional strain on already-overburdened landfills.
• Not to mention the environmental costs of forcing millions of Americans to purchase new merchandise rather than used for their children. (The positive economic impact of increased spending will be minimal, as most of these purchases will likely be of low-cost goods manufactured in China, and offset by the loss of jobs and income in the resale sector.)

What Can We Do About It?

Fortunately, we have a new administration that claims to be truly democratic. Want to try them out? There are already quite a few groups raising a stink on this one. Here's one to start with:

The National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops has a web page where you can sign a petition to save second-hand kid's clothing and toys. They also have a sample letter to your congresspeople that you can edit, sign and send. It's easy, fast and free. Here's the link:

http://www.narts.org/SaveKidsResale.htm

February 10 is fast approaching. If you've read this far you've proven your concern and you can't be so busy you can't do this: I urge you to take two minutes (maybe less) RIGHT NOW and speak out for kids and the planet!