Consumer group believes more must be done after recalls are issued to keep kids safe

WASHINGTON — Hundreds of products are recalled every year, including children’s toys. But even when those warnings are released, it’s hard to get those harmful items out of homes.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said it’s on track to issue a record number of recalls and safety warnings this year.

But two new reports from the nonprofit, Kids in Danger, call for more changes. In its first report, the nonprofit evaluated the effectiveness of recalls by reviewing all recall reports for children’s products from 2022.

It found that only 22% of those recalled items had been successfully returned, repaired, or destroyed.

“So, this means that approximately 78% of these children’s products are still in homes or childcare facilities posing a threat to children,” said Dev Gowda, Deputy Director of Kids in Danger.

Gowda said some of the companies behind recalled products were not transparent with incomplete monthly progress reports to the federal government.

“We’d like the Consumer Product Safety Commission to put more pressure on companies to submit accurate and full monthly product progress reports to the federal agencies so that we’re able to better track how many of these recalled products are removed from people’s homes or childcare facilities, and then how many are still remaining posing a hazard to children,” said Gowda.

A CPSC spokesperson said the agency urges companies to directly notify customers about recalls. “This includes not just posting the recall on their social media accounts once, but also promoting the recall through paid digital advertising. This type of outreach will help people see a recall notice and get dangerous products out of consumer’s homes,” said a CPSC spokesperson in a written statement.

Several children’s toys have been recalled this year. This includes items that pose potential choking hazards or suffocation risks. But the toy industry says very few of their products are recalled nationwide. “The toy industry has a remarkable record of producing safe product, and works year-round with government agencies, pediatricians, and other groups to protect consumers from products that violate the strict toy safety standards set for this country,” said a spokesperson for The Toy Association in a written statement.

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In a second report, Kids in Danger surveyed parents and caregivers about the recall process. Gowda said it shows more people got rid of recalled items when companies offered refunds or replacements. He added that making the return process easier is key.

“The last thing that they want to do is deal with a hard recall, meaning where they’re having to go from link to link. Sometimes a link is broken. They have to get on the phone with someone, or they have to maybe take a product apart physically,” said Gowda.

Gowda said the nonprofit is also encouraging companies to promote recalls just as much as they advertised the products to begin with. He suggests using permanent posts on social media so more customers have the potential to see the warnings.

Full statement from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Direct notice to consumers is the most effective means of achieving recall response.  CPSC urges companies to directly notify all known consumers about recalls whenever possible, and to conduct robust public outreach to promote product recalls. This includes not just posting the recall on their social media accounts once, but also promoting the recall through paid digital advertising. This type of outreach will help people see a recall notice and get dangerous products out of consumer’s homes.

This fiscal year, CPSC is on-track to issue a record number of recalls and safety warnings about hazardous products, and we promote these notices in multiple ways, including through direct weekly consumer emails, press releases to media, social media posts across all our platforms – with all releases available in English and Spanish.

CPSC would welcome additional resources to support its outreach efforts, but we are committed to using every tactic in our toolbox to protect consumers from product hazards.

Full statement from The Toy Association

The Toy Association is supportive of Kids in Danger’s efforts to spread the word widely about recalled products. Using social media as another way to get the word out about recalls is encouraged and is being increasingly used by toy manufacturers.

All toys sold in the U.S. must comply with 100+ strict toy safety regulations, tests, and requirements designed to protect children at play. It should be noted that Kids in Danger’s report focuses on recalled children’s products, many of which are not toys. In a typical year, significantly less than 1% of the three billion toys sold in the U.S. are recalled.  The toy industry has a remarkable record of producing safe product, and works year-round with government agencies, pediatricians, and other groups to protect consumers from products that violate the strict toy safety standards set for this country. The recall system is a critical “safety net” that helps to remove faulty products from the distribution chain, and, when necessary, out of consumers’ homes.

Ensuring the safety of children is the toy industry’s number one priority. For toy recalls and other questions on play safety, families can visit PlaySafe.org.

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