News

A massive recall of toxic SpongeBob SquarePants branded stationery has thrown the spotlight on potential risks of outsourcing print to developing nations.

A quarter of a million address books and journals have been recalled after unsafe levels of lead were found in the spiral bindings.

The books were printed in China for Martins Designs, but were recalled by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) because of concerns over the toxic effects.

Three other print jobs have been recalled by the CPSC so far this year, all of which were sent out to China and involved choking hazards.

The recall comes less than a week after Mattel recalled more than 1m toys and accessories that also showed excessive levels of lead paint.

BPIF director of strategy Mike Hopkins told printweek.com that the recall highlighted the danger of outsourcing printing to countries where safety regulations may not be strict enough.

"It's all about control of your supply chain and the responsibilities that come with it if you extend supply beyond that.

"The UK printing industry has been very good at adhering to standards such as the ISO accreditation. If you are going to outsource work, then you have to make sure you outsource your standards also."  

The recent developments have prompted calls in the US Senate for imported toys from China to go through a costly lead paint testing process.