The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has revealed that there are 6.6 million products in our homes that are currently under a voluntary recall notice. While that’s a staggering figure, what’s even more concerning is that half of those products are still in our homes.
E-commerce or online shopping has led to an increase in products entering Australia that are unsafe much to the concern of our safety regulators.
The ACCC said that “about 650 consumer product recalls are issued each year, but because only half of the affected products are returned to sellers, about a quarter of households remain exposed to potential hazards”.
The problem lies in the fact that the penalties to companies selling unsafe products are not a deterrent.
To combat this the Federal Treasury has issued a consultation paper on new regulations aimed at reforming the product safety system. This consultation closes at the end of November so it’s unlikely that any regulations will be in place before mid-2020.
In the meantime, check the https://www.productsafety.gov.au/recalls website to see if anything in your household has been recalled. This could be anything from a bottle of rosé to children’s night wear and various automobiles.
Remember, be safe not sorry.