California Proposition 65

 

Prop 65 began in 1986 as a regulation to safeguard drinking water in the state

of California. It has evolved over the years and its broad mission is to verify

that products are not harmful to humans or the environment. Today it is

widely considered to be the baseline for quality and safety across industries.

Its most common implementation is to regulate toxic matter in products meant for adults.

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Children's items

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The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is a U.S. federal agency that asses

the relative risk of products bought and sold on the U.S. market. They are tasked with issuing product recalls. Most children's items in the US must meet the limits set forth in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA). However, this law regulates only lead. For cadmium, Mutual Cornell uses the lowest level mandated by a state law. The current limit used by the industry is from Washington state.

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Phthalates

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Phthalates [pronounced thal-ates] are groups of chemicals used make plastics more flexible and

therefore harder to break. They are commonly found in soft plastics such as PVC but are also

present in many cosmetic, personal, and child care items.
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Both the CPSIA and Prop 65 regulate phthalates; CPSIA controls for phthalates in products
intended by the manufacturer to be used by children under 12, whereas Prop 65
(OEHHA) regulates phthalates in items for both adults and children.

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RoHS

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The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS), is a European Union regulation

restricting the use of harmful substances in electrical and electronic equipment (EEE).

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Leachability & Solubility [Toys]

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EN 71 and ASTM F 963 are tests to ensure that products, especially toys meant for
children, are safe for commercial sale and consumer use. EN 71-3 is the European Union
safety standard. ASTM F 963 is its US equivalent.

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