May 12, 2008

Enviromom Discusses Car Seat Recycling


Check out the size of Olivia's new car seat! It practically IS an actual car seat. We chose it because of its safety features and reputation for excellence, but boy is it huge! She doesn't look too thrilled in this photo, probably because she knows that her car seat is not at all eco-friendly.

Her infant car seat lasted 7 months and we are hoping this one lasts her at least a few years, but my mom blogging pals over at Enviromom are posing very important questions about car seat recycling and the availability of resources for parents to recycle their children's car seats, which are bulky, full of plastic, and have pretty short use lifespans.

Please visit Enviromom's post, "Critical Mass for car seat recycling" and leave a comment to weigh in on the need for car seat manufacturers to offer recycling options for their used equipment. I admire Renee and Heather, the moms behind Enviromom, for bringing this issue into the spotlight and calling for action.

Used car seats are not accepted as donations because they are a liability, so we must solve the dilemma of what to do with these necessary, but not at all eco-friendly items.

Thanks for your input!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Beth -- thanks so much for your support and post. It would be so cool if manufacturers of car seats really start listening to us green moms. They do have a short life span, they should be recycled, and if we can get that in place, then they need to make sure they make them easy for real people to disassemble!! Thanks again for your support.

Anonymous said...

We too have gone through a lot of car seats. (At $2-300 a pop isn't it wonderful.)I have to say we have never thrown one out despite the fact that they can't be officially donated. So many people we know need a second set of seats for daycare,in-laws, even just second cars that they always seem to find a good home. As long as they haven't been in an accident or you haven't let them sit in your garage for 100 years you can probably find someone who wants it.