Truth or Fiction: Oil and Spirit Dye Ban, US

[swivelsphinx]

Hey All:

A few days ago, a customer comes into my shop and tells me that his carving teacher told him that spirit and oil dyes have already been banned in California, and that Oil and Spirit dyes are going to be banned in 2009 nationwide. This sounded incredibly unfeasible, as NONE of the suppliers I use have said boo about any such thing, and there is bubkus on the subject when I do Google searches.

I recently called Fiebings and The Leather Factory. I was told there was *no* plan to discontinue these lines in the works, and no Federal legislation going into effect that they knew of in the near future. Sheesh!

Edited December 30, 2008 by swivelsphinx

[Art]

Well, it has been banned, but only for small amounts in retail sales in CA. They are probably worried about disposal of those products by non-professionals; like dumping it down the drain or onto the ground. You should still be able to get 16oz and larger sizes, even at retail in CA. I can understand some retailers and even wholesalers who might not want to be bothered with it at all. I've tried the Eco based products and did not find them to my liking, but it wasn't as if I HAD to start using them, so I didn't.

Art

Hey All:

A few days ago, a customer comes into my shop and tells me that his carving teacher told him that spirit and oil dyes have already been banned in California, and that Oil and Spirit dyes are going to be banned in 2009 nationwide. This sounded incredibly unfeasible, as NONE of the suppliers I use have said boo about any such thing, and there is bubkus on the subject when I do Google searches.

I recently called Fiebings and The Leather Factory. I was told there was *no* plan to discontinue these lines in the works, and no Federal legislation going into effect that they knew of in the near future. Sheesh!

[TwinOaks]

The manager of TLF in Montgomery, Al said that the Tandy had a good stock (~2 years) but that it was being phased out in favor of the treehugger version.

Whether other sources like Springfield, Hidecrafter, Spiegel, etc. will be doing the same wasn't discussed.

[abn]

There was lots of discussion on this topic back in mid-2007 when the ban took effect and Tandy responded with the Eco-Flo line of water-based dyes. Since then, not much has changed. Outside of California, you can still purchase the full line of Fiebings spirit dyes in any size bottle, even at Tandy. Fiebings has even come out with a line of low VOC spirit dyes, called LeatherColors, intended for CA customers.

I think the Eco-Flo line has been a big success for Tandy, but I expect there will always be a place to buy spirit and oil dyes, since they are still preferred by a great number of craftsmen. If you like them, stick with 'em.

-Alex

[TexasJack]

The dyes aren't being banned because of disposal; they are being banned because of air quality regulations. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which includes most organic solvents, contribute to ozone formation. States that have problems meeting the federal National Ambient Air Quality Standards can put severe restrictions on products containing those chemicals.

If they banned all VOCs, shut down all industry, and moved everyone out of California, they would still not meet the standards for ozone. (A combination of natural vegetation and the way the terrain interacts with air currents makes the problem.) So the concept that a 3 oz. bottle of dye might destroy ecosystem is just insane.

Don't be surprised to see such bans in other states. Environmental regulations are probably 75% based on politics and not science or engineering. The people proposed to run EPA for the incoming administration are nothing short of fanatics.

Meanwhile, retailers like Tandy are trying to come up with alternatives so they don't get driven out of business.

Anyone care to comment on how well the 'green' stuff compares to the traditional stuff???

Edited January 1, 2009 by TexasJack

[bustedlifter]

If they banned all VOCs, shut down all industry, and moved everyone out of California, they would still not meet the standards for ozone. (A combination of natural vegetation and the way the terrain interacts with air currents makes the problem.) So the concept that a 3 oz. bottle of dye might destroy ecosystem is just insane.

To think that we can change what God created ( climate) is the height of arrogance .

[MADMAX22]

The dyes aren't being banned because of disposal; they are being banned because of air quality regulations. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which includes most organic solvents, contribute to ozone formation. States that have problems meeting the federal National Ambient Air Quality Standards can put severe restrictions on products containing those chemicals.

If they banned all VOCs, shut down all industry, and moved everyone out of California, they would still not meet the standards for ozone. (A combination of natural vegetation and the way the terrain interacts with air currents makes the problem.) So the concept that a 3 oz. bottle of dye might destroy ecosystem is just insane.

Don't be surprised to see such bans in other states. Environmental regulations are probably 75% based on politics and not science or engineering. The people proposed to run EPA for the incoming administration are nothing short of fanatics.

Meanwhile, retailers like Tandy are trying to come up with alternatives so they don't get driven out of business.

Anyone care to comment on how well the 'green' stuff compares to the traditional stuff???

So true.

[UKRay]

To think that we can change what God created ( climate) is the height of arrogance .

Sadly, Bustedlifter, to think that we haven't changed what God created might just be the height of gentle innocence... the greenhouse syndrome is far too well documented to ignore fellah... and believe me, I'm definitely not a tree hugger or any other kind of 'green' nut.

Before you jump on my back, I'm not about to be drawn into debate about this stuff as I'm already out of my depth but let it suffice to say I work closely with highly educated people who have been researching this stuff for years and they all believe in it wholeheartedly... On a personal level I have absolutely no reason to doubt that mankind is responsible for some mammoth nasties which will affect our offspring for generations. Just look around you... a plague of locusts doesn't even come close to some of the stuff that is going on around the world.

Like most of us, I use spirit dyes because I believe they are the best option. I have always used them and, until recently, didn't see any reason to change. Now I'm looking very closely at how I can use these water based products because I firmly believe that in a few years they could be all we are able to obtain.

Governments around the world are tightening up on the whole greenhouse gas issue. Carbon offset is simply going to be another legitimate business expense before long. 2012 is a-coming and there is nothing we can do about it other than make sure we have researched alternative ways of keeping our businesses going - including sourcing carbon friendly dyes and making sure our businesses are as carbon friendly as possible and let's face it, a huge farting cow probably isn't the most carbon friendly source of materials.

I've said my 2 cents worth and will gladly step back now. Absolutely no offense is intended anywhere or to anyone, but we will all have to deal with this issue sooner or later.

[Ian]

Well, I missed my calling. I should have been a scientist or filmaker then I could get my place in line for the billions of dollars that have been appropriated for 'Global Warming' - that's what it's really all about. At last count, over 3,000 world scientists have agreed that this hysteria is the biggest hoax ever to be foisted on the public. The planet will be covered by a foot of ice and the 'green' industry won't let go of the golden goose they've discovered. In the meantime, every industry that requires the use of solvents will have been driven to China, and the mediocre products we produce with 'green' substitues will be unsalable.

I can guarantee you that the container-ship loads of merchandise from Asia that dock on our shores every day aren't manufactured by 'green' methods. So we'll plug along with our inferior 'Eco Flo', feel superior that we're being 'green' and then head out to the mall to buy Asian goods.

[tonyc1]

There is no global warming down here this summer. It is the coldest December that I can remember. Instead of being the usual 30c on New Years day, it was 16c. We have had the fire going all of Dec. and they even forecast snow on the mountain. I feel for the people who have come here for a holiday this year!

Tony.