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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Warnings for Secondhand Shoppers: Safety and Quality Control Tips

Aug 31, 2022 09:30AM ● By Sheila Julson
Person wearing secondhand purchased clothing including hat, jacket and pants next to a used children's toy spinning top

Renthel Cueto/Pexels.com; Anthony/Pexels.com

Children’s Items 

• When purchasing toys or children’s furniture, parents should check for safety recalls and be sure the product contains no lead paint, recommends WebMD. Check for broken or missing parts and make sure the item is stable. Products manufactured many years ago may not have the same safety features as newer items.

• Avoid car seats and booster seats which may have been involved in an accident. The same is true for bicycle and motorcycle helmets. Federal safety standards for cribs frequently change, so avoid used pieces if they are more than a few years old. 

Clothing

• The condition of items donated to thrift stores or posted by resellers can vary greatly, from brand-new items to well-worn pieces, notes LifeSavvy. Carefully check the item, especially under the sleeves and the inseams, for stains, tears, third-hand smoke odors or other defects.

• Whether shopping for secondhand clothing in person or online, Glamour UK recommends  ignoring the size on the label of vintage items, because they can vary greatly. When unable to try a garment on, check the measurements. Many vintage sellers on Etsy post them along with the label size.

Secondhand wooden chair with headphones on it next to chest with used radio on top of it

Skylar Kang/Pexels.com

 

Furniture

• Consumer Reports recommends buying local for large items like furniture to avoid shipping costs and allow for close personal inspection.

Electronics

• For those unable to afford or justify the cost of a new $1,000 smartphone, Apple, Best Buy and Walmart sell refurbished phones, computers and TVs on their websites at a reduced cost. If using an E-commerce seller of refurbished electronics, make sure it uses programs such as CheckMEND to be sure the item wasn’t stolen. 


pImage courtesy of AshevilleToolLibraryorgbrp

Conscious Consumerism: The Rise of Sharing and Reselling

Local shared enterprises and secondhand shops are saving people money and reducing the impact of excess consumerism on the environment. Read More » 

 

In-Print National Content September 2022
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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