Is Walmart Putting Profits Above Safety by Stocking Dangerous Products for Kids?

According to Wake Up Walmart, Walmart continues to stock products identified as unsafe or dangerous by reputable consumer safety organizations. The retail giant is offering holiday gifts for kids which have high levels of dangerous substances such as lead, chlorine, arsenic, cadmium, and bromine (according to findings from HealthyStuff).

Image: Brave New Films Walmart

Walmart

The members of WakeUpWalmart.com (almost a half a million strong) have launched a consumer education campaign to highlight Walmart’s track record of stocking dangerous and unsafe products. The organization, in cooperation with the National Consumers League, is seeking to inform the average consumer about Walmart’s business model, which puts profits above safety and encourages the production and sale of dangerous products.

According to HealthyStuff and Wake Up Walmart, the following toys are dangerous and should not be sold or used:

Zhu Zhu Pets
Mrs. Potato Head
Walmart brand black and yellow frog wallet
Disney Princesses pink belt
iCarly pink belt
10 Squirtin’ Sea Buddies
A Touch & Feel Bedtime Book
Chux! Fling Shots
Our Good 5 Game Combo (Badminton, Volleyball, Shuttle Smash, Flying Disc, Jelly Ball)
The Original Little Red Wagon – Model #32
Small Bakugan Battle Brawlers Backpack
The Original – Butterfly Watch
Red Flame Watch
Green Giraffe Print Bag

Wake Up Walmart is asking the company to remove these toys from their shelves.

Part of the education campaign is a letter to the CEO of Walmart, Mike Duke, asking for him to set safety and health standards for all the products the company sells, in particular, children’s products.

“Walmart must ensure that the products on its shelves are safe. Please remove the unsafe products from your shelves. You have made the profits from consumer’s purchases, now take responsibility for consumer protection.”

For more info on toys that were tested by HealthyStuff, check out the guide: 2009 Toy Results

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Tags: arsenic, bromine, cadmium, chlorine, Healthy Stuff, kids toys, lead, National Consumer League, toxins, Toys, Wake Up Walmart, Walmart

About the Author

Derek Markham lives in southwestern New Mexico and digs bicycles, simple living, organic gardening, sustainable lifestyle design, slacklining, bouldering, and permaculture. He loves good food, with fresh roasted chiles at the top of his list of favorites. Catch up with Derek on Twitter, RebelMouse, Google+, or at his natural parenting site, Natural Papa!