Hasbro's Ethical position: Choice magazine

[Tiby]

I subscribe to Choice magazine and they did an article in the July 2008 edition regarding the ethical manufacture of toys. I have permission by Choice to post this article, which is copyright Choice. I thank them for letting me do so.

Hasbro features in the article.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z204/Tiby1/ChoiceJuly2008EthicalToysPg1.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z204/Tiby1/ChoiceJuly2008EthicalToysPg2.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z204/Tiby1/ChoiceJuly2008EthicalToysPg3.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z204/Tiby1/ChoiceJuly2008EthicalToysPg4.jpg

[Pulse]

As if big companies like Hasbro could give a sh#t if they're paying their chinese factory workers peanuts while expecting them to keep pumping out toys around the clock... :rolleyes:

[dirge]

I think Choice is to some extent barking up the wrong tree by applying the same standards to retailers & manufacturers - while (say) Hasbro has a great deal of control over manufacturing methods, (say) Target buys the toys from the manufacturer - a better measure of Target's performance would be its employment practices. It's not in a position to know what standards/conditions are like in the country of manufacture, compared to the manufacturer.

On a related note, with many of the manufacturers, the policies would be set by the overseas head offices (as they mentioned with TY), and in many cases their Australian presence would be little more than a supporting branch office.

Having said that, it's pleasing to see that Hasbro do take the matter seriously - even if they're not perfect. It's interesting (and saddening) to see that Mattel failed to respond, despite all the negative PR they received from their lead paint fiasco. Clearly Hasbro take this sort of thing far more seriously than Mattel do.

[Tiby]

We criticize Hasbro a lot, but I think this is a step in the right direction for them.

[Paulbot]

A very interesting article. Thanks for sharing. Every time I unwrap a twist tie I think about the workers who wrapped it and it's good to learn a bit more about Hasbro's factories.

[GoktimusPrime]

I'm also pleased to see that Hasbro's rating reasonably well there. Btw, I know that at least in Japan Thomas & Friends are manufactured by TakaraTOMY so I imagine that these toys would follow similar standards as Hasbro. I don't know of RC2's Thomas figures are also manufactured by Tomy or not.

[Kyle]

Lego is pretty good, as expected... :p

[GoktimusPrime]

I looked at some Thomas the Tank Engine toys today and I noticed that there it was a mixed bag... maybe about 70% of them had RC2 on the package whereas 30% featured Tomy's logo.

[Lint]

AS/NZS ISO 8421.1:2002, gotta look that up at work tomorrow :P

[liegeprime]

A very interesting article. Thanks for sharing. Every time I unwrap a twist tie I think about the workers who wrapped it and it's good to learn a bit more about Hasbro's factories.

I just cut the wires Paulbot, it makes it easier:D:D Hmmm makes you think now why we get all the defects in QC of Animated toys ... 80 hrs/week labor, sheesh and someone gets fined for being too much in the loo:( appalling work conditions.

[MV75]

I just cut the wires Paulbot, it makes it easier:D:D Hmmm makes you think now why we get all the defects in QC of Animated toys ... 80 hrs/week labor, sheesh and someone gets fined for being too much in the loo:( appalling work conditions.

That actually comes down to the people in charge of the actual factory. They get a certain amount of $ for a certain amount of figures. They then cut costs further on their side by doing stuff dodgy/cheap.

They could do all toys like the premium range as a standard, but don't because the factories then increase their bottom line.

I do wonder what is in the future though to toy prices and where they are manufactured when these countries catch up to us in their labour practices and conditions and pay due to constant "western interference". I see "cheap chinese labour" becoming "cheap african labour".
________
Simca vedette (http://www.dodge-wiki.com/wiki/Simca_Vedette)

[GoktimusPrime]

It happens. Transformers were initially made in Japan until labour costs made it prohibitive. Then manufacturing was moved to off-shore to places like Macau (at the time still a Portuguese colony), Indonesia and now China. But yeah, once the cost of manufacturing in China becomes prohibitive they'll move it off-shore to somewhere cheaper. Africa's not a country btw. :p

[MV75]

But it is a term of the people. ;) Yea, I'm playing the context card in response to your locality card. :D
________
Mercedes-benz w212 history (http://www.mercedes-wiki.com/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_W212)

[GoktimusPrime]

So then we can say that Transformers have always been made in the same place then. From G1 till now Transformers have always been Made In Asia (http://www.alllooksame.com/)(TM). Ggrrr! ;)

[MV75]

Ah! You countered with the racism card. Don't make me play the socialist card because that would mean the game would be over because society will go to anarchy. :D
________
Herbalaire Review (http://herbalairevaporizer.com/)

[Pipesqueak]

I think Choice is to some extent barking up the wrong tree by applying the same standards to retailers & manufacturers - while (say) Hasbro has a great deal of control over manufacturing methods, (say) Target buys the toys from the manufacturer - a better measure of Target's performance would be its employment practices. It's not in a position to know what standards/conditions are like in the country of manufacture, compared to the manufacturer.

I think you're letting the retailers too easily off the hook there, Dirge. One of the best documentaries I've seen in recent years was about Walmart (I think I've posted about it here before). It showed how at their headquarters they have corridors full of negotiating rooms where they play manufacturers off against one another to make things for the lowest price, down to the last cent. A major theme of the doco was how manufacturers used to have all the control, deciding what they wanted to make and dumping their product on the retailers. Now the tide has completely turned, as the big retailers (Walmart, Target etc) tell the manufacturers exactly what product they want and how little they're prepared to pay for it. It was a most revealing and disturbing piece of filmmaking, showing that if workers are being exploited in countries like China, it's because the retailers have screwed down the profit margins of the manufacturers to next to nothing. It's also a big reason why the manufacturers moved to the third world in the first place.

[Lint]

I think you're letting the retailers too easily off the hook there, Dirge. One of the best documentaries I've seen in recent years was about Walmart (I think I've posted about it here before). It showed how at their headquarters they have corridors full of negotiating rooms where they play manufacturers off against one another to make things for the lowest price, down to the last cent. A major theme of the doco was how manufacturers used to have all the control, deciding what they wanted to make and dumping their product on the retailers. Now the tide has completely turned, as the big retailers (Walmart, Target etc) tell the manufacturers exactly what product they want and how little they're prepared to pay for it. It was a most revealing and disturbing piece of filmmaking, showing that if workers are being exploited in countries like China, it's because the retailers have screwed down the profit margins of the manufacturers to next to nothing. It's also a big reason why the manufacturers moved to the third world in the first place.

What was this doco called again? I remember hearing about and having my interest piqued but I never actually saw it.

[dirge]

Pipesqueak: US retailers, I'd agree. I don't think Australian retailers have that same clout. Most Australian retailers just haggle for a product that already exists.

MV75: Try telling the people in Juba that they're the same people as their oppressors in Khartoum, who spent decades living off the natural resources of those they've been oppressing. (look it up, it'll save you making embarrassing geopolitical generalisations)

[MV75]

Pipesqueak: US retailers, I'd agree. I don't think Australian retailers have that same clout. Most Australian retailers just haggle for a product that already exists.

MV75: Try telling the people in Juba that they're the same people as their oppressors in Khartoum, who spent decades living off the natural resources of those they've been oppressing. (look it up, it'll save you making embarrassing geopolitical generalisations)

I'm not going to go to where you've completely torn up and thrown away the context, so I'll put it simply, yes they are, they all live in Sudan.

But as for your version, no, the germans are not the same as the jews.
________
SILVER SURFER VAPORIZER (http://www.vaporshop.com/silver-surfer-vaporizer.html)

[TheDirtyDigger]

But as for your version, no, the germans are not the same as the jews.
What about German Jews? 250,000 people of the Hebraic persuasion today live in Berlin alone.


Australian retailers should have some clout even though we are a small backwater market. If I may draw an analogy with the sentiment of our favourite Asian-Australian, lesbian politician regarding climate change...it's doesn't matter that we're small and don't make a difference. Everybody needs to act.
Australian retailers SHOULD be demanding that the manufacturers of their products apply ethical standards when producing anything. Sure we don't account for much of the market but every little bit helps.

The following list is ONE company. You'd think they'd buy enough to have a little clout.

Bunnings Warehouse, Coles Supermarkets, Bi-Lo, Pick 'n Pay Hypermarket, Coles Express, Coles Central, Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore, Officeworks, Officeworks BusinessDirect, Harris Technology, Kmart, Kmart Tyre & Auto Service, Target, Pharmacy Direct, HouseWorks, Curragh Queensland Mining, Wesfarmers Premier Coal, Bengalla Mining Company*, Wesfarmers Federation Insurance, Lumley General Insurance, Lumley General Insurance (NZ), OAMPS Insurance Brokers, Crombie Lockwood (NZ), Koukia*, Blackwoods, Protector Alsafe, Wesfarmers Industrial & Safety NZ, CSBP, Australian Gold Reagents*, Wesfarmers Kleenheat Gas, Unigas*, Wesfarmers Kleenheat Elpiji, Wesfarmers LPG, Coregas, Air Liquide WA*, Energy Generation, Gresham Partners Group*, Wespine Industries*
* Joint ventures

[dirge]

Australian retailers should have some clout even though we are a small backwater market.


The thing is, that as far as a manufacturer is concerned, Coles Myer (in a market of 20 million) is small fry compared to Wal*Mart (in a market of 300 million). If Wal*Mart wants something from Dodgy Toys, Limited, they'll likely do it. They'll then go to Coles Myer and offer that product. Then hawk it to Woolworths.

Few toys which reach Australian shelves would be commissioned by Australian companies, so most of them would be designed to meet foreign standards anyway (or designed in countries with terrible enforcement like China). In the case of locally conceived stuff, yes, local stores can make a difference. But they'd still be outsourcing manufacturing to another jurisdiction (likely China with it's enforcement issues).



If I may draw an analogy with the sentiment of our favourite Asian-Australian, lesbian politician regarding climate change...it's doesn't matter that we're small and don't make a difference. Everybody needs to act.
Australian retailers SHOULD be demanding that the manufacturers of their products apply ethical standards when producing anything. Sure we don't account for much of the market but every little bit helps.


I agree. It's good to see Ms Wong & her sidekick Kevin07 actually being proactive, too. Something far too rare in Australian politics. And I'm glad that some of our retailers do care about this. Just because they have limited power doesn't mean they shouldn't do their part.


I'm not going to go to where you've completely torn up and thrown away the context, so I'll put it simply, yes they are, they all live in Sudan.


You're the one who brought Africa up as a rather poor example of a labour market (there are 57 countries & dependencies in Africa, which you lumped into one). There's your context. As to why I brought Sudan & Southern Sudan into it (look it up properly!), well, the fact is that even within African states there are enormous economic differences.

[GoktimusPrime]

My favourite African nation is Tunisia... just cos it's Tattooine (stupid geeky reason, I know :p). Funnily enough most Africans I meet are from Southern Sudan, Tanzania (I've had the pleasure of meeting John Akhwari (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Stephen_Akhwari) on a few occasions) and Kenya... I've never personally met anyone from Tunisia.
*nerd.snort.laff* BD
"If there's a bright centre to the universe, you're on the planet that it's farthest from." - Luke Skywalker

It's good to see Ms Wong & her sidekick Kevin07 actually being proactive, too.
All hail Chairman Rudd! :D

[Tiby]

I think the point of the Choice article was to inform consumers who can make decisions about what they buy, and thereby try and force some change. Sure, it won't be a big deal if this small market tries to change things, but every little bit helps.

For us, we'll buy TFs no matter how they are made, I guess, but it is still good to know the real cost.