It started in 2007, when large-scale toy manufacturers that outsourced work to China put numerous toys on the market containing high levels of lead-based paint and tiny removable parts that could result in choking in small children.

In response to this outrage, The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) in 2008, which would prevent manufacturers from using lead-based paint and phthalates in toys. Manufacturers would be have their products tested by a third-party facility and stamped with validation proving their products are safe.

While this is a great measure designed to protect children from harmful exposure, small-time U.S. toy makers who don’t have access to lead-based paint will also be required to perform this extra inspection in order to sell their toys. The extra cost for this unnecessary inspection is likely to put small toy makers out of business, while allowing large-scale toy manufacturers, who prompted the act in the first place, to prosper.

The CPSIA, doesn’t take into consideration the fact that the majority of handmade toy makers are personally involved in the manufacturing and distribution of their wares through craft fairs and online craft sale sites like Etsy.com. Many of them supplement their income through the sale of their wares, and cannot afford the high-cost of inspection, which could run between $300-$4000 per toy. This would mean the majority of these small, self-sustained toy businesses in the U.S. would become illegal.

The United States has long been known as the “Land of Opportunity” and with more families gearing themselves toward sustainability, the opportunity to prosper through their own creativity and craft wanes in light of the CPSIA.

The Handmade Toy Alliance is banding together to secure the rights of small handmade toy makers in the U.S. To learn more about their efforts, and how you can get involved, visit their official website.