Thursday, April 12, 2012

The End of the Road for Our Dear Friend?

We are a 3 stroller family. A jogging stroller for running, hiking and trips to the grocery store. A double stroller for days when both kids need to be pushed. And, lastly, an umbrella stroller for traveling or excursions. We walk a lot.. what can I say?
Sadly, our umbrella stroller that we have had since Finn was a baby broke while we were in Florida (It's last day of unbroken glory is shown above, with Phoebe and Minnie in tow). The wheels and fabric are still in great shape, but the frame that holds it together cracked underneath where the child sits. We rigged it together to last the rest of our trip, but the seat slanted, and Finn said it was uncomfortable. We also felt a little nervous with Phoebe in it as it didn't seem entirely safe.
But, did we leave the stroller in Florida? Toss it in the trash? Nope. I wasn't sure what to do with it, but I didn't think Florida's landfill was the right option, so it came home with us. But... now what do I do with it?
I tried to give it away for free on craigslist, however, the posting for a "free sort-of broken stroller" didn't get too many inquiries. I actually had one person who said they wanted it, but never actually came to get it.
I called the manufacturer, Chicco, to see if they would take back the stroller and recycle the parts. I was not surprised when they told me they did not. I was assured, however, that they do sell replacement parts.... but when the frame is what needs to be replaced, no such luck.
So, what DO i do with a stroller that is not really safe enough to be re-used? If I was a welder, I could maybe fix it, but I am not. I guess my only option is to dismantle the stroller. I can recycle the plastic wheels and the scrap metal and can maybe find a new use for the fabric... but it just seems like there should be something better....
Our house alone has 3 strollers (well, 4 now actually, 3 working, as we already got a new umbrella stroller, and 1 broken one), and strollers are not exactly small items. If each child in the US is going through 1 or maybe many more strollers during the course of their childhood, that is a lot of strollers that end up in the landfill once they are no longer useful. A search on the internet gave no ideas aside from dismantling and recycling the parts.
Shouldn't the companies who make these strollers (which are not made sturdy enough in my opinion!) take them back once they break? Wouldn't it be nice if they could turn broken strollers back into new strollers? I think that I am off to write a letter to Chicco about this actually....
Anyways, what have you done with a broken stroller? If anyone has any great ideas, I am eager to hear them!

2 comments:

  1. Me too! I have one sitting in the shed :)

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  2. Yes! Companies should absolutely be responsible for the full life of their products! Cradle-to-cradle all the way.

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