CEH & Over 40 Retailers Reach Agreement on Reducing Lead in Handbags, Etc.

Agreement Follows Findings that Purses/Accessories Contain High Lead Levels

The agreement follows CEH findings released last year that hundreds of purses and other accessories contain high levels of lead that can pose a health threat, especially to pregnant women and women of child-bearing age. Federal law requires that materials in products for children contain no more than 300 parts per million (ppm) of lead. But there is no federal standard for lead in purses.¹

Settling Companies Agree to Pay Nearly $1.7M to California, CEH

The settling companies have agreed to payments totaling nearly $1.7 million, which includes payments to the State of California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, payments to help fund CEH's ongoing work to educate and protect Californians from toxic health hazards, payments to help defer CEH's legal expenses, and money from each company towards a testing fund to be used by CEH to monitor for compliance with the terms of the agreement.

Settling Firms Agree to Implement Lead Limits for Handbags, Etc.

Under the agreement, the following lead limits for handbags and accessories will be implemented by the settling companies for covered products by December 1, 2010:

• No more than 90 ppm of lead in paint or other surface coatings;
• No more than 600 ppm of lead in leather (going down to 300 ppm by December 1, 2011);
• No more than 300 ppm of lead in vinyl (going down to 200 ppm by December 1, 2011);
• No more than 300 ppm of lead in any other materials (except crystals).

In addition to handbags and accessories, many of the companies agreed to apply these standards for materials used in belts and/or footwear.

Violations by Settling Firms Could Result in Fines of Up to $12,500

CEH states that violations of these standards could result in mandatory fines of up to $12,500.

CEH and Settling Firms Want Lead Limits to be New Industry-wide Standard

CEH and the companies intend by this agreement to “set new industry-wide standards” limiting lead in handbags and other fashion accessories. The CEH Executive Director noted that it expects that every company that makes, imports, distributes, or sells purses and other accessories will join these leading companies in meeting these health standards for their consumers.

CEH states that the agreement allows other accessory companies to opt-in by agreeing to reformulate their products and make a monetary payment.

(In February 2010, CEH announced a settlement with four other companies to limit the amount of lead in women's purses, handbags, clutches and wallets sold in California that it believed violated the lead exposure standards under California's Proposition 65². At that time, sources stated that CEH had already initiated legal proceedings against 141 other companies (including the over 40 that signed this agreement) which it believes have high levels of lead in their purses sold in California. See ITT's Online Archives or 02/09/10 news, 10020925, for BP summary.)

¹On August 14, 2009, the CPSIA imposed a 90 parts per million limit on lead in paint and similar surface coatings for products subject to 16 CFR Part 1303 which include: (1) paint for consumer use, as well as the paint used on (2) toys and other articles intended for use by children that bear paint; and (3) furniture for consumer use that bears paint.

²California's Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, requires certain labeling of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 04/27/09 news, 09042730, for BP summary of CEH initiating legal action after finding high levels of lead in women’s purses sold at several major retailers in CA.)