Why we do not carry diapers made in China...

I think that most of the people that have known me from the beginning of this venture know that I took a very firm stance against diapers made in China for a number of reasons and one of the first questions I always ask manufacturers/wholesalers is, "Where are your diapers manufactured?" I will only bring brands into my store that I would use on my own child, and I have concerns regarding diapers made in China.

I did try one brand of well known cloth diapers made in China as I had been told they were made in a very ethical factory, with the highest quality materials using a material similar to PUL called TPU. First off, TPU is still a petroleum product no matter how you name it. I must say that I was was bitterly disappointed with the delaminiation issues and very poor customer service my customers received from the manufacturer for warranty issues. That is when I made a decisions to clearance that particular brand and to not carry anything made in countries with questionable safety standards and "sweat shops". I am not saying that this brand used a "sweat shop"; however I am firm on my stand that this is a tough thing to monitor in a country such as China.

My reasons for not carrying diapers made in China are abundant, but these are the primary reasons:

~I cannot monitor work conditions in the factories in a country such as China for obvious reasons, therefore I am not comfortable with just "being told" that the work conditions are favorable and workers are treated and paid well. This is just too difficult for me to be assured that this is true, and given the history of "sweat shops" in China and other third world countries, I cannot support this practice. The risks of poor work conditions is just too high, and the historical reputation of practices in factories in China speaks quite loudly all on its own. My moral compass is very strong, and at the end of the day, I need to know that I have not played a role in this scenario.

~I am also very concerned about who is overseeing the safety standards for products made in third world countries. Have you ever stopped to think about what goes into the PUL? (or TPU, or any other method of waterproofing fabric). There are petroleum products in the PUL and TPU. In North America these materials require some very strict regularions and standards to meet North American standards for what is acceptable to be worn by a child. What standards are adhered to in China? Just food for thought. Personally, I know that one of my chinese made diapers I bought from EBay to test melted into a black blob in the dryer, and smelled so strongly of chemicals that it was horrid. I am guessing it would not have passed any safety standards. I should also mention that my other brands of North American made diapers that were in that load of laundry did not melt and never have in the subsequent 4 years of use of them. :-) Does this frighten you just a bit when you stop to think about that diaper that melted in my dryer being on your child's bum day after day? Hmmmm... just food for thought.

~Our economy. What better reason could there be to buy products made in North America than to support our North American economy? The past few years have been an overall economical struggle for North America. As things spiralled downward for our countries here close to home, I really feel that it was an eye opening experience for me to research the impact of buying products made in North America vs. other parts of the world. At that time I made a conscious choice to shift my gears and focus on products as close to "home" as I possibly could whenever it was possible. At that point you may have noticed a shift in many of my product lines that ALL NATURAL BABIES discontinued and in the lines that were made closer to home, in North America.

~Cheaper is not always better. We all know that from buying clothing, groceries, vehicles, etc. That comment is valid when purchasing diapers also. You do get what you pay for. Plain and simple. I think that the points I have covered clarify that, but also I can vouch for the "life" of the North American brands of diapers vs. the cheaper versions made in countries with less than desirable practices with materials that definitely do not seem to be of the same standard.

If my customers have an issue with a diaper that I carry, it is almost a 100% guarantee that I can assist that customer in accessing warranty for that product. The North American companies have shown excellent customer service practices and have the staying power of remaining in business for the "long haul". Many of the diapers being imported from countries such as China seem to come and go more quickly and new brands pop up regularly but are gone before the year is up! For me, that IS a HUGE concern as I believe in excellent customer service for my customers and if the companies no longer exist, how can that occur!!!? Let's look at the North American companies and see how many of them have been around for several years!!! That speaks volumes to the ability to access them for customer service and warranty. :-) Again, that alone carries value.

Okay I am off of my soapbox now. I do know that many of you will have differing opinions, and that is why we are all individuals. I believe that everyone makes the best possible choices for their children; however I often wonder if those choices would be the same or different if more research into all facets of the product would be explored. I do know that the more I researched foreign made diapers, the more that my concerns increased regarding the safety and quality of the product, the quality of the people putting those diapers together in other countries (often in sweat shops), and the impact that we have on our own economy.

Shopping local has so many benefits. I have really shifted my focus even in day to day shopping for items like groceries, clothing, etc. I love supporting businesses close to home. How about you? What changes are you willing to make? What manufacturing practices have impacted your decisions?

Is cheaper "truly" always better? Or are there costs to safety and sociological prices attached? Just my thoughts that I wanted to share with you.

Auctions!

I have had NUMEROUS requests from customers asking me if I would ever consider having Auctions! At first I said that I didn't think so. Then I realized that I LOVE BIDDING ON AUCTIONS and that it might be fun to add a few items to our ALL NATURAL BABIES facebook group to try it out and see how it goes.

After consulting with several friends, customers,and family members I decided to jump to the next step. Suggestions ranged on how to go about this and which things to put into the auctions, and at the end of it all I knew we would give it a try!!!

I wandered through the store trying to pick a few items out to kick this whole new adventure off. After a great deal of thought it had been decided that many of the items would be things that we were either overstocked in or in the process of clearing out. There would also be an occasional surprise thrown in for our valuable customers with a currently stocked "THANK YOU" type of an item that is popular! This would be yet another way that we can say THANK YOU to all of our great customers.

Awww.. so the next question that all of you are asking, is what are the "surprise items" going to be? For that, my dear customers, you will have to stay tuned and check back regularly. Some of the items will be "ZOOM AUCTIONS" meaning that they will be posted and will end much quicker than the usual auctions! This is just meant to add more excitement to the whole bidding process! :-)

Stay tuned and thanks everyone for adding a little fun to the ALL NATURAL BABIES FACEBOOK PAGE!!! http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.10150167269312056.304514.570372055#!/all.natural.babies