Product Safety: What’s Hidden in Your Supply Chain?

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently announced that it would be establishing a permanent presence in China. The reason? "Fifty-one percent of all the recalls that we do at the CPSC come out of China," says CSPC chairperson Inez Tenenbaum.

In particular, as noted in a recent article on the subject, the United States has been hit by a series of product safety scares, many of which originated in China, such as children's jewelry found to contain excessive levels of cadmium or the counterfeiting of electrical product parts.

Nearly fifty percent of all consumer products sold in the U.S. come from China and Korea, including 90 percent of all toys sold in the U.S. according to the CPSC. Translated? U.S. consumers, especially children, are potentially being put at risk every day as a result of faulty Chinese-made products.

Perhaps what is most worth noting here, however, is the need to insure that ALL products, regardless of origin – are safe – and that the materials and processes used in the manufacture of these products are free from toxic or dangerous chemicals, materials, or chemical by-products.

By supporting a safer, more sustainable approach to product design and manufacturing, such goals can be realized. While it is extremely valuable to have product safety specialists from organizations like the CPSC working with organizations like China’s consumer safety organization, AQSIZ to insure that faulty products are identified prior to distribution, the real focus needs to be on preventing product recalls in the first place by establishing and enforcing stricter product design and development safety guidelines, globally.

It’s all part of next-generation product design, a topic that is explored in greater detail in our upcoming research study, “Sustainability and the Product Lifecycle: A Report on the Opportunities, Challenges and Best Practices for Sustainable Product Design and Manufacturing.”

Do you have what it takes to design sustainable products? Or wish you did? Tell us more. By taking this short survey, you’ll be helping to shed light on this very important – and often highly debated – topic. Whether you’re a sustainability expert or just beginning your journey – your feedback is invaluable.

See also:

US product safety watchdog sets up shop in China