Earth Friendly Toys

National Product Recall and Surviving Christmas 2008

The nonprofit Maya Organic Collective (MAYA), created 1989, has provided a livelihood for workers throughout India, while ensuring that the children of these artisans were educated, given proper nutrition, medical services and other opportunities. During the first five years of its inception, MAYA worked directly with children, removing them from work places and enrolling them into schools. Now MAYA combines children's rights with the creation of sustainable family wage employment for MAYA collective workers.

Earth Friendly LLC was chosen by MAYA to exclusively distribute the collectives' toys in the United States. Earth Friendly LLC, founded by Cynthia Thomas of Portland, Ore., a mother and an RN, is responsible for distribution of MAYA toys and other products as well as ensuring that all products meet American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards. Cynthia Thomas, strongly believed that the mainstay of MAYA's work is to support communities by building their institutional capabilities. Because of her efforts, a wide variety of toys and holiday decorations were in stores nationwide.

In October of 2008, Cynthia Thomas the owner of Earth Friendly LLC contacted me in a panic. The Consumer Product Safety Commission had found a defect in one of Earth Friendly's products (Cubby the Bear). Not only did she need to recall Cubby, she needed immediate assistance and help in understanding the multiple legal regulations and requirements of a voluntary recall of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Additionally, she needed to notify her national sales force and all sales outlets in the United States to ensure they were compliant with recall timelines and regulations. Earth Friendly also needed a program for consumers to return the defective toy, and to hopefully stay loyal to the Earth Friendly brand.

My objectives as a consultant, was to use the most immediate and cost-effect means to comply with the recall, and reassure consumers, sales staff and sales outlets that Earth Friendly toys were safe.

We use social media, traditional media and continuous communication with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to achieve our objectives.

• Establish the quality and safety of the other Earth Friendly products
• Create an interactive means to communicate with the various audiences affected by the recall
• Create a voluntary compliant Consumer Product Safety approved recall system
• Use the recall as an opportunity to promote the Maya and Earth Friendly mission
• All materials and tactics required approval by the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
• Complete the voluntary recalls within the timeframe mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Commission

Outcomes: December 2009, more than a year after the recall, Earth Friendly has enjoyed increased national distribution. An additional 20 store outlets have been added.