Here at Modern Kids Design, we’re dedicated to earth-friendly living and we know you are too. Sustainability and eco-friendly products have been at the core of our mission since we started. We are also constantly searching for ways to reuse and recycle products that are often difficult to dispose of in a responsible way. One product that is challenging is the ubiquitous car seat, and we’d like to talk about it today.

If you are or if someone you know is searching for a way to recycle a car seat, it could be helpful to check out the work that one of our nonprofit parnters, CoolMom, is working on by clicking on the links below. And if you’d like to learn more about them on our website, visit their section in our Shop+Give program tab. CoolMom is a nonprofit based in Seattle, Washington that brings moms and families together to take action around climate change and other important issues to help support a healthy planet. Started by two friends, the group offers a variety of programs that include education, outreach, and … car seat recycling!

Yes, while they do have a few different campaigns, the team at CoolMom felt that it was important to turn their attention to recycling.  Most car seats expire within six years of being manufactured (and should have an actual expiration date stamped on them). After a car seat expires, it can no longer be safely reused and needs to be recycled. Car seats are one of the forgotten products when it comes to recycling. Every year, 270,000 children’s car seats are discarded in Washington State alone. According to Consumer Reports, Americans alone purchase over 12 million car seats annually many of which end up in landfills. Needless to say, it is adding up quickly.

So, the team at CoolMom started looking for a solution. They first tackled the issue through reuse by teaming up with WestSide Baby, a Washington nonprofit that inspects used car seats for safety and then redistributes them to needy families in the area. Next CoolMom partnered with Zero Waste Washington to expand their car seat recycling efforts. They are now working with city recycling collectors, recycling processors, and other experts to develop a full-scale program to recycle car seats at little or no cost. Over the next year, they plan to recycle at least 1,000 car seats as the program continues to grow.

If you live outside of Washington, you may want to check out their other website called Recycle Your Car Seat to find a potential solution in your area. And you may also want to get updates on CoolMom’s efforts as they endeavor to expand the program here.

Beyond recycling, CoolMom advocates for environmentally friendly transportation options through programs such as the walking school bus, family biking, and the no-idle campaign. They are committed to building healthy communities and a healthy planet. And their CoolMom groups provide a structure for cool moms and cool dads to team up and make actionable changes in their community.

At Modern Kids Design, we’re honored to support the efforts of CoolMom through our Shop+Give program. With Shop+Give, up to 10% of your purchase will go towards our donation program to support our nonprofit partners. To find out more about CoolMom, check out the CoolMom website for inspiration and ideas… because we know you area cool mom or dad too! Thanks for reading!