Safety concerns impact production

	Taizhou Sunny’s model YG-6009 is an LLDPE outdoor table and chair set with CE certification.

Utilizing nontoxic components is becoming a priority for many children’s furniture suppliers in China, even though it translates to higher production spending. With earth- and health-friendly pieces enjoying strong demand from the US, Europe and Japan, more manufacturers are enticed to join the “green” bandwagon.

Working with qualified paint, low-formaldehyde composite wood panels and sustainable timber is turning to be common among makers.

The direction is also a response to the tighter consumer protection measures enforced in key markets.

To meet the CPSIA requirements of the US, China companies are sourcing paint and coating materials that contain less than 90ppm of lead.

Third-party evaluation is also compulsory, as is providing for a general conformity certificate in English declaring that the product has passed proper QC procedures.

So far, only a handful of large suppliers are making serious efforts to comply with the directive. Among them is Fuzhou Homestar Light Industrial Co. Ltd, which adopts environment-friendly oil paint with <90ppm of lead for its high-end bedroom furniture. In addition, the manufacturer has obtained FSC documentation to prove that its wood is sustainable and comes from legal sources.

For small enterprises with limited funds to shoulder testing and certification fees, conformance can be a daunting task. To illustrate, suppliers need to pay at least $1,000 just to get a CE marking for one product. CARB and EN are the other typical standards China furniture pieces meet.

Qualified inputs also cost more than conventional materials.

Water-based paint, for example, is 30 to 50 percent higher than oil-based NC or PU versions. Nontoxic and odorless, its formulation does not harm the indoor environment and the user’s health. Adding to the expense, upscale releases are coated with at least five layers of paint, while low-end counterparts get only one each of primer and an oil-based overlay.

Another option for green treatments is UV paint, which some tier 1 companies employ. While it is 10 to 50 percent less expensive than oil versions, the required production line is costly, amounting to $70,000 to $150,000 per unit. Further, UV coat is suitable only for flat surfaces.

The availability of low-lead paint, which is still hard to find in China, is hindering CPSIA compliance as well. Therefore, makers opt to ship bare furniture pieces and leave the coating process to their foreign buyers.

Apart from lead, children’s furniture suppliers are keeping the formaldehyde content of furniture pieces in check.

More manufacturers, for instance, are using E0-grade MDF, which is the most ecologically safe for panel-based designs. It has 0.5mg/L or less of formaldehyde and poses the lowest health risk. The variant, however, is expensive, allowing only large enterprises with sufficient resources such as Zhejiang Mengxiang FurnitureCo. Ltd to employ it.

A 1,220x2440x25mm E0 board, for instance, costs $28 or 33 percent more than an E1-rated version, which emits ≤9mg/L of lead. For this reason, the majority of makers, mainly small and midsize, still use the latter.

Fujian Biquan Arts Products Co. Ltd utilizes E1 MDF for it high-end models. The lead and hexavalent chromium content is below 100 and 3ppm, respectively.

Meanwhile, particleboard providers in Japan have developed the super E0-grade MDF, which is said to be safer than E0. Its formaldehyde level is lower than 0.3mg/L. As of this writing, however, no China supplier has started adopting the material for mass production.

Avoiding formaldehyde altogether, some makers are working with solid wood, particularly for upscale designs.

Foshan City Nanhai Kingtinto Furniture Co. Ltd employs Russian pine with a 50cm diameter and a density of 550kg/m3. The imported material costs 30 to 35 percent more than domestic versions. It gives off a fresh scent and is safe for children. In fact, the wood is being used in Japan and South Korea to make steam and meal boxes.

Fuzhou Xurong International Co. Ltd utilizes the same material for its high-end baby cribs.
Designs prevent risks

	This 1,451x910x1,030mm baby crib from Zhejiang Mengxiang is made of birch.

Besides reducing hazardous substances in raw materials, companies are highlighting safe product construction. Smooth edges and rounded corners, for instance, are common features.

For Foshan City Nanhai Kingtinto, selecting the right hardware is vital. Its cabinets and dressers boast three-fold silent drawer slides that stop the storage boxes from falling when pulled completely. Soft close hinges are also employed to avoid finger injuries.

In the beds line, most releases for children 12 years old and below have railings. The latest designs from Dongguan Zhizun Industrial Co. Ltd have protection on both sides. Versions without them are 10 to 20 percent less expensive.

As for cribs, the spaces in between slats are made smaller to prevent babies’ legs and arms from getting trapped in between. While other suppliers usually allot 8 to 9cm, products from Fuzhou Xurong have pine slats that are only 5.5cm apart. Because more wood pieces are used, the company’s models are priced 5 to 10 percent higher. Cribs from the manufacturer also have teething rails.

Some makers work with plastic since it is lightweight and not as hard as wood, minimizing bump injuries.

Taizhou Sunny Baby Toys Inc. utilizes LLDPE from South Korea for its range of CE-certified kindergarten furniture.

In terms of aesthetics, popular releases come in pastel shades of pink, blue, green and yellow. Designs featuring cartoon characters also sell well. To this end, Fuzhou Homestar has obtained licenses from Disney.