As I write this I think, dare I touch this subject being so directly involved in the manufacturing industry and with countless colleagues and clients producing in China? I quickly remind myself that the real question is, dare I not confront this topic seeing as I am in a unique position to support or not support what has been the most massive manufacturing nation on the planet for years.
From toxic toys, to exit signs that have failed in emergencies, to poisoned toothpaste, and even a defective soccer net that entrapped and strangled a child to death (yes that is a true story), it has become undoubtedly clear that something needs to be done about the safety of the products we are importing and producing from this country.
Chinese companies produced more than half of all the products the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled last year, and yet few of these companies were ever actually held responsible. To make things even more interesting, many of these faulty goods continue to be sold across the U.S. and sometimes it takes months, or even years, to realize just how defective and toxic they really are.
It might seem surprising but according to international lawyers who deal with these cases it’s nearly impossible to hold Chinese manufacturers responsible since its scarily simple to evade trial by showing that these companies, “have no substantial business presence in the USA.” This is clever seeing that most of the manufacturers indeed rely on independent importers to sell their goods to foreign markets, such as Europe and the USA.
Also, due to the way our laws are currently written, most U.S. attorneys refuse to take on cases against Chinese or other foreign manufacturers unless there are American co-defendants because the chances of winning are so slim.
It’s a seemingly futile effort in most cases and although it’s clear our legal system needs some significant adjustments in order to deal with the mass amount of global trade we are dealing with, it may take years to effectively ensure these companies are creating safe products.
Many feel the answer is to stop buying foreign or Chinese goods (as the emphasis has been put so heavily on China), but this has long seemed impossible considering almost everything we currently consume in the United States is a foreign product.
Luckily, with the rise of movements such as the eco and fair trade movements, there are new options for consumers to purchase a wide range of safe and planet friendly products globally through the internet and I have found through my extensive work in the environmental and apparel industries that there are indeed some products being made in countries, like China, that are produced consciously, sustainably and beautifully by wonderful people.
In truth, there is no simple answer and the debate will surely rage on. Perhaps the best way, and maybe even the only way, to ensure we are buying a safe product is to simply buy goods from companies we personally trust and respect, or from companies that have solid reputations for their product safety and company values.
We are now more aware than ever before just how powerful we are as consumers to create change on a global level, and as our health and the health of our families is increasingly at risk from products as seemingly harmless as our coffee makers or our tennis shoes, it’s time to take our buying habits and supermarket decisions much more seriously and stay educated.
By
Beth Doane
Rain Tees Founder and Designer