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Ditch the Dyes Cheat Sheets

Toys “R” Us promises to reduce lead, phthalates

By Kristie Turck •  Published 02/19/08 •  3 min read

Last updated on August 20th, 2022 at 12:01 am

I received this via email today and thought I would pass it along:

February 15, 2008
A Message From Gerald L. Storch,
Chairman and CEO, Toys”R”Us, Inc.

Dear Valued Guest,

At Toys“R”Us, Inc., kids are central to who we are and to what we do. Our commitment to their safety is non-negotiable. I wanted to share with you today some of the decisive and proactive changes we have made recently to our already rigorous quality assurance standards:

NOTIFICATION TO MANUFACTURERS OF INCREASED QUALITY ASSURANCE STANDARDS AND OVERSIGHT:

  • We have instructed all manufacturers who produce items for Toys“R”Us, Inc. that products shipped to the company on or after March 1, 2008 must comply with strict new standards, which include:
  • Significantly increasing the frequency of third-party testing, including each batch of product imported to the United States by Toys“R”Us, Inc.;
  • Ensuring all product samples submitted for testing are selected by the company’s third-party, certified laboratory;
  • Date-coding all products;
  • Applying a more stringent standard of 90 ppm for lead in surface coatings versus the current federal standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys“R”Us, Inc.;
  • Requiring substrate materials to meet a standard of 250 ppm for lead versus the company’s current standard of 600 ppm for all products manufactured exclusively for Toys“R”Us, Inc.; and
  • Using lead-screening equipment to conduct company auditing of all products at their point of origin and at various points in the supply chain.

REDUCTION OF PHTHALATES AND POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) USE:

ELIMINATION OF NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES FROM ALL PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED EXCLUSIVELY FOR TOYS“R”US, INC.

We know that you trust and expect that we will always do the right thing when it comes to the safety of children, and we take that responsibility very seriously. At every turn, we will continue to look for ways to provide the safest shopping environment for the children and families we serve. We love kids and babies – and safety in all we do for them, and for you, is an imperative.

Sincerely,

Gerald L. Storch
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Toys”R”Us, Inc.

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