(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) At Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, our number one priority is to ensure the products sold in our stores are safe and fall within government standards. Millions of pieces of children's clothing and toys are generously donated each year to Goodwill of Middle Tennessee. Our employees sort through our donated goods daily and our store employees check shelves for recalled items. We then follow guidelines for the proper disposal of clothing, toys or other goods that are recalled.
Under a new law passed by Congress that went into effect February 10, all products sold for children ages 12 and younger, including clothing, are to be tested for lead and phthalates, which is a chemical used to make plastics more pliable. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) pertains to every piece of clothing and every toy in the marketplace prior to February 10. The law was passed in response to the widespread recalls of items, including toys made in China, that are manufactured using lead-based paint.
Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee has removed children's clothes and accessories with rhinestones, which have tested positive for lead. In addition, GIMT has pulled items for children under three that are sold specifically for sleeping, feeding, sucking or teething because of phthalates. Also gone from GIMT store shelves are child care items not in original packaging including bibs, placemats, utensils, feeding bottles, pacifiers, teeters, bathtub toys, baby blankets, crib bedding and cribs.
Our store employees and processors are aware of this new legislation and make every attempt to remove and properly dispose of items that do not fall within the CPSIA guidelines. We will not knowingly sell any item that does not fall within CPSIA parameter.
All recalled items are sent to our salvage group which has contracted with a company which treats these items as hazardous materials and disposes of them in a safe manner. These items are not part of the waste stream and do not go to landfills.
About Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, Inc.
For over 50 years, Goodwill has provided job training and job placement free of charge to people with disabilities or other barriers to employment through the sale of donated items. Goodwill has served 3,358 people in 2009 in the communities in middle and west Tennessee. For more information on Goodwill's Career Solutions, retail stores, and donation centers, please visit www.giveit2goodwill.org or call 1-800-545-9231.
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