Are you wondering what to do with your child’s old car seat? As they grow, car seats become obsolete, but simply throwing them away contributes to landfill waste. Fortunately, Car Seat Recycling Programs offer an environmentally responsible solution. Let’s explore why recycling car seats is crucial and how you can find car seat recycling programs near you.
Why Car Seat Recycling Matters
Car seats are essential for child safety, and with millions of births each year, the number of car seats in use is staggering. Children typically use car seats in various forms until they are at least 8 years old, sometimes even longer. This widespread use, coupled with the lifespan and safety requirements of car seats, leads to a significant disposal problem.
Millions of car seats end up in landfills annually due to several key reasons:
- Outgrown Seats: Children quickly outgrow infant carriers, convertible seats, and booster seats, rendering them unusable for the original child.
- Expiration Dates: Car seats have expiration dates, typically 6 to 10 years from the manufacturing date. Exposure to temperature extremes and sunlight degrades the plastic over time, compromising safety. Expiration dates are usually found on a label or stamped into the plastic of the car seat. Safety recalls can also make car seats unusable.
- Car Accidents: After a car accident, car seats often need replacement, even if there is no visible damage. The forces exerted during a crash can weaken the structural integrity of the seat, making it less effective in future incidents.
The accumulation of discarded car seats creates a substantial environmental burden. These bulky items, composed of hard plastics, foams, and metal components, take up significant landfill space and persist for years without fully decomposing. The mixed materials make standard recycling difficult, as separation is complex and not all components are recyclable through municipal programs.
Finding Car Seat Recycling Options
Angelica M. Baker, a Child Passenger Safety Specialist at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, emphasizes the importance of proper car seat disposal: “Garage sales and trash cans are not the answer to unwanted, old car seats – de-manufacturing and recycling is. This is the proper way to dispose of car seats. It’s important not to throw car seats in the dump. We have seen many cases where people will pull old car seats out of dumpsters or trash cans and use them,” Baker explains. Recycling prevents unsafe seats from being reused.
Deconstructing car seats for recycling takes effort but is a responsible choice. May Romo from Safe Kids Salt Lake County highlighted the importance of car seat recycling, a sentiment shared by organizations like Safe Ride 4 Kids.
While the specific Utah program mentioned in the original article may no longer be active, the principle of keeping reusable materials out of landfills remains vital. Let’s explore how to find car seat recycling programs in your area.
Locating Local Car Seat Recycling Programs
Several avenues exist for finding car seat recycling programs:
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State Transportation Departments: Some state departments of transportation offer car seat recycling initiatives. For example, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has a program allowing residents to drop off car seats at designated locations across the state. Check your state’s DOT website for potential programs.
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Recycle Your Car Seat Website: RecycleYourCarSeat.org provides a directory of recycling programs in various states. If your state isn’t listed, online searches using terms like “car seat recycling [your city/state]” can help you find local options.
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Big Box Retailer Trade-in Programs: Major retailers like Target and Walmart periodically host car seat trade-in events. During these events, you can bring in an old car seat – expired, damaged, or simply no longer needed – and receive a discount on a new car seat or a store gift card.
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Target Car Seat Trade-In: Target has a long-standing car seat recycling program, often offering a 20% discount on baby gear in exchange for a used car seat. They partner with Waste Management to ensure collected seats are recycled and repurposed into new products. Target’s events often occur in April for Earth Day and September for Child Passenger Safety Week. (The next Target event is April 14-27, 2024, as mentioned in the original article, but check their website for current dates).
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Walmart Car Seat Recycling: Walmart initiated a car seat recycling program in 2019 in collaboration with TerraCycle. They typically offer a $30 gift card for recycled car seats. Monitor Walmart’s announcements for upcoming events.
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Car Seat Manufacturers’ Recycling Programs: Some car seat manufacturers offer their own recycling programs. Contact the manufacturer of your car seat to inquire about potential recycling options. Clek is one manufacturer that offers a year-round recycling program for any brand of car seat. They provide a recycling kit that you can ship back via UPS, with a fee to cover shipping and processing.
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RideSafer Trade-Up and Recycling: For RideSafer Travel Vests, which have a longer lifespan than traditional car seats, a trade-up program is available for upgrading to larger sizes. Uncrashed, usable vests can be donated to charities assisting low-income families. Donations can be made to organizations like WeeCycle, or by contacting RideSafer directly for recycling options.
What to Do if Local Car Seat Recycling Programs are Unavailable
If dedicated car seat recycling programs are not accessible in your area, you can still take steps to reduce waste:
- Donation: If your car seat is unexpired, not recalled, and hasn’t been in a crash, consider donating it to a local charity or hospital. Ensure it meets current safety standards before donating.
- Reselling (with Caution): While not generally recommended to buy used car seats, platforms like Good Buy Gear facilitate the resale of gently used car seats. If reselling, be transparent about the seat’s history and expiration date.
- Dismantling and Component Recycling: As a last resort, dismantle the car seat yourself. Separate and recycle any recyclable plastic and metal parts through your local recycling facilities. Fabrics can potentially be composted or taken to textile recycling centers. Dispose of non-recyclable components responsibly.
By actively seeking out and participating in car seat recycling programs, or by responsibly disposing of car seat components, we can collectively reduce landfill waste and contribute to a more sustainable environment while ensuring child passenger safety.
Do you know of other car seat recycling programs? Share them in the comments below to help others find solutions in their communities!
By Amie Durocher, Creative Director at Safe Ride 4 Kids and certified CPS Tech since 2004
Copyright 2024 Safe Ride 4 Kids. All rights reserved. You may not publish, broadcast, rewrite or redistribute this material without permission. You are welcome to link to Safe Ride 4 Kids or share on social media.
We originally published this post in April 2016. We updated the article for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
©amie durocher
