Toys accounted for 38% of all consumer product recalls in Europe in the last quarter, according to a report from Stericycle Expert Solutions, a figure which may trouble consumers as the Christmas present buying season gets into full swing.
136 of the 354 consumer product recalls and notifications in Q3 2017 related to toys, which has been the top category every year since 2014, and 91% of these originated in China. Whilst this should not be surprising, given that a huge proportion of consumer goods, including toys, are manufactured in China, it does raise concerns about the continued influx of unsafe products that have to be removed from the market and out of the hands of young owners.
Stericycle Expert Solutions, which has managed product recalls on behalf of some of the world’s biggest brands, states that retailers need to take extra care when importing toys and other consumer products. As the number of toys powered by lithium-ion batteries increases,...