[Reprinting of Nov 16th release to industry from manufacturer Garyline. We’ve all heard about the lead found in popular reusable tote bags used by major retailers such as Walmart, Winn-Dixie, Target and others, and your customers are probably asking questions. Are the bags and other products I’m buying from you safe? Several of our MVPLPs & PLPs have stepped up to the plate to ensure that they are complying with all laws and safety regulations. We are reprinting their statements to us as they are received.]
All Garyline Tote Bags meet current Federal Guidelines for Safety
Recent stories about lead content in retail tote bags have caused concern.There is no federal regulation concerning allowable amounts of lead in tote bags,but we have set what we believe is the highest standard for the tote bags in ourproduct line.
The current CPSC limit for Children’s Products is 300 ppm (parts per million).This will change to 100 ppm in August 2011. These laws do not apply to totebags, but we will use 100 ppm as our new standard for compliance.
Last year we purchased an XRF Heavy Metal Detector so we are able to test allbags in our current inventory in all colors. Any item /color that exceeds 100ppmfor Total Lead will be quarantined from stock and will not be sold.
All test results will be posted on our website and Certificates of Compliance willbe revised in a few days to reflect the most recent results.
Product Safety is a primary concern. So, while no law currently exists to regulatethe lead content in tote bags, we are proactively and voluntarily holding ourselvesto the 100ppm standard that will exist for children’s products in August 2011.
We have stock in many colors that have already been lot tested. If youhave an open order we will notify you if we find the presence of lead above100ppm. If you have a new order, we can provide test results for any color /style. On request, we can test samples from an individual order prior toshipping.
Consumers are rightly concerned about product safety, and they deserveanswers and corrective action from suppliers. Some will cite the lack of a federalstandard as reason for inaction. We are taking steps to meet a new higherstandard that has not even been proposed at this time. If the laws change to anew standard, we will be ready. If the laws remain as they are, then we’ll feelbetter that we took the time and made the effort to take the safest possiblecourse for our distributor clients and end-users.
Thanks for your business.
Adventures in Green Marketing 
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