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Earthentree: Blog
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March 2009
Welcome to the Earthentree blog! We hope to use this blog as a forum to communicate with our customers and look forward to seeing your comments, photos and any other news you’d like to share with us or questions you might have for us.
The recent Toy Fair in New York reflected the trend towards greener, healthier toys for our children and Earthentree hosted a workshop in February for women business owners about the ins and outs of the new Consumer Product Safety Information Act requirements. There’s a lot going on in the toy industry and at Earthentree. We’ve included some interesting links below that we think you might find interesting. We encourage you to post comments and feedback and let us know if there are topics you’d like us to address in this blog.
Look for a Q&A with Earthentree Owner Deepti Shankar on the topic of toy safety later this month.
Interesting Links:
Planet Green - What to Look for in Children's Toys
Lasting toys
“When purchasing new toys, keep the toy’s potential longevity on your mind. A long-lasting toy not only means that you won't have to buy another one in a matter of months, it also means that when the toy is no longer in use, you can always pass it along. More money for you + keeping materials out of the landfill = easy decision.” Click the link above for more green tips when choosing kids’ toys.
Toy Industry News:
Publisher’s Weekly Toy Fair 2009 Report
Did you hear about the Sasha and Malia dolls modeled after the first children? Michelle Obama nixes the toys; not on her watch! The New York Times reported on why the company retired the toys.
Earthentree in the News:
Pregnancy & Newborn
Earthentree in the Blogosphere:
Precious Peas
Upscale Baby
Q&A with Deepti Shankar
Q – How important is safety to Earthentree as a company?
A – Itr is extremely important. We are in the business to make safe eco friendly toys avaialble to our valued customers and safety compliance is our top priority.
Q – How can a relatively small company such as Earthentree afford to compete with giant toy manufacturers such as Mattel and Fisher Price?
A – We bring quality toys that are handmade with the finest craftmanship. We will always have a market for such high quality toys made from natural materials and sustainable wood. More than just regular toys, we celebrate sustainability not only for the artisan community but also as our products are ‘green toys’.
Q – Many people have heard a lot about the Consumer Product Safety Information Act (CPSIA) and how difficult it will be for all companies but particularly small companies to do the required product testing to ensure they are safe and legal to sell. How is Earthentree addressing the new CPSIA guidelines?
A – We were fortunate to have great guidance from enforcing officials and the rest was research and taking proactive measures to make our toys safety compliant. Everyone invloved in Earthentree, from artisans to our administrators, to sales, worked on getting an indepth understanding about our toy testing. Thanks to the vegetable based dyes used, our toys are naturally lead free. The biggest challenge was to make sure our toys are designed not to break into small parts. The design and quality control during our production was our top priority in addressing new guidelines and we couldn’t be happier with the quality of our toys as a result. We are especially proud of our artisans who have become so knowledgeable about toy safety.
Q – Has Earthentree ever had a safety recall and, if so, how was it addressed?
A – Yes we did early on. All our work and efforts now is the result of the safety recall of our toys last year. We have since redesigned safer sturdier toys and discontinued toys that did not exceed safety compliance. Our toys are green, lead free and do not break into small parts.
Q – All of the information available to consumers now is sometimes overwhelming. From toys to personal care products, we are warned of hazards and harmful ingredients. When it comes to toys, what are the basic things to look for in terms of safety and what should consumers avoid?
A – There are different safety standards that toys should adhrere to. The basic things to look for are compliance to the two most widely recognised standards which are
(  ) CE - European Union EMC & Safety Compliance Declaration and ASTM - American Society for Testing and Materials
Toys should be properly labeled. Look for the labels which say whether the toy is ASTM certified. Sometimes the manufacturer’s website gives you more information. These certifications are given after testing the content, physical & mechanical (small part) and flamability test. Also each toy should clearly state age grading. Earthentree gives as much information through its website to its customers and through its toy packaging.
Please feel free to comment on a comment thread or email Earthentree directly if you have any questions about safety. Also, if you have questions you’d like to see addressed in a future blog post, please let us know!
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January 2009
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We hope you are off to a beautiful new year and are enjoying winter celebrations with your family. We want to thank our customers for their continued support this holiday season and are grateful that you chose to gift Earthentree toys to the special children in your lives.
We hope to use this blog to communicate with our customers, provide a venue for you to communicate with us and with each other and stay informed about the toy industry.
Earthentree Moments Memory Page
Earthentree Owner Deepti Shankar has shared many moments with her toddler, watching her engage with the toys from Mommy’s product line. But as orders are filled and toys are shipped, she often wonders in what child’s hands will these toys be loved and played with. We would like to invite you to submit moments you’ve captured of your child or grandchildren playing with Earthentree toys and we will create a memory page for everyone to share and enjoy. Please submit high-resolution jpeg images to info@earthentree.com.
Earthentree is now on Facebook!
We invite you to join us on Facebook where you can become a fan and share photos and comments. Check out our profile at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Earthentree-Toys/38236754076?ref=ts
Buy Local!
Many consumers are consciously making an effort to buy locally. Earthentree supports this effort and wants to let consumers know where they can purchase Earthentree toys locally in various markets on the West Coast. You can always purchase online but if you’d like to save on shipping and support your local businesses, here’s where you can go:
Washington
Bainbridge Island
Calico Cat
Bellevue
KidsQuest Museum Store
Kenmore
Snapdoodle Toys
Maple Valley
A Mom’s Haven
Mount Vernon
Skagit Valley Food Coop
Seattle
Clover
KCTS Channel 9 Store
Once Upon a Time
Top Ten Toys
Symphonica (Inside Seattle Symphony)
Vashon Island
Giraffe
Vashon Pharmacy
Oregon
Portland
Grammy and Nonna’s Toys
Eugene
Elephant’s Trunk Toy Company
Check out this op-ed piece in the Seattle Times that notes Seattleites “buy local” ethic as a silver lining to the gloomy economic outlook in 2009.
Earthentree in the News:
E: The Environmental Magazine
Mothering
PLENTY and Pregnancy and New Born
Toy Industry News:
Seattle Times – Toy Makers Say Safety Law May Leave Less Fun on the Shelf
New York Times - Toy Makers Mount Drive to Salvage China’s Safety Reputation |
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