where can i donate a car seat

by Myriam Towne 10 min read

Donate It

  • Women’s shelters or other local charities: There are many organizations that provide resources to families in need. ...
  • Church organizations: Church organizations are always looking to help. ...
  • Local CPSTs: Child passenger safety technicians are trained on car seat safety and how to install car seats (3). ...

Full Answer

Can I reuse or donate my car seat?

Feb 27, 2020 · Check with your city if it can be with your standard recycling. If not, check with the local recycling plant if they accept car seats. If not, see if there is a trade in program running near you this year. If not, there are online organizations which will recycle your car seat.

Where can you safely donate your car to charity?

Jan 08, 2022 · You’ll pay a fee ranging from $36 to $50, depending on the type of car seat you have. Then, they’ll send you a recycling bag and packing label. When you receive it, all you’ll need to do is pack up your car seat and drop it off at a UPS store. TerraCycle– If you have a lot of baby gear to recycle, you can go with TerraCycle.

Where is the safest seat in the car?

Aug 10, 2017 · You can contact your local recycling plant to see whether it accepts used car seats or search online for trade-in programs in your area. …

Where can I donate cars for a good cause?

Feb 01, 2021 · Finding out where to donate car seats is easy if you know what you're looking for. Here are just a few examples of donating a car seat to charity: Donate to a Child Passenger Safety Technician: CPTA's can use your old car seats to teach new parent's how to use them. This is a great way to dispose of a seat without sending it to a landfill or recycling center.

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Is Walmart doing car seat trade in 2021?

Walmart is now offering car seat trade-in events. We've got the details on what you can trade in, coupons you will receive, and how it stacks up to Target's program. Walmart is getting ready for its next car seat trade-in event.Jan 14, 2021

What do you do with an expired car seat?

Recycle it Some city recycling programs or local recycling plants may accept used or expired car seats, but call to confirm before dropping yours off. If your seat is recyclable, you'll likely have to take off the seat cover and harness to make it easier for the plant to dismantle the plastic and metal pieces.Aug 10, 2021

Is it bad to use an expired car seat?

Expired car seats may not adequately protect riders in the event of a crash. That's why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges parents to avoid using car seats that are past their use-by dates, or seats without expiration dates that are more than six years from date of manufacture.Aug 9, 2021

How many years is an infant car seat good for?

In general, car seats expire between 6 and 10 years from the date of manufacture. They expire for a number of reasons, including wear and tear, changing regulations, recalls, and the limits of manufacturer testing. Let's take a closer look.Sep 17, 2019

Why do car seats expire?

Expiration dates help to ensure that your car seat reflects the latest in technology, which not only helps protect your child but may also help you get a more secure installation. A nonexpired date ensures that your seat meets the most up-to-date safety regulations.

How long are car seats good for?

Most seats are good for six years or more from the date they're manufactured. If the date has passed, dispose of the seat properly by stripping it of all fabric and cutting all harnesses and straps so that they can no longer be used. Clearly mark the seat’s shell “Do Not Use.”.

Is every recall a safety recall?

Check to see whether there have been any recalls, and if so, make sure the problems have been addressed. Not every recall is a safety recall, but every recall is important to follow up , even if it’s just a minor fix.

How to recycle car seats?

Know what you have to do to recycle your car seats. First, ask a recycling center near you. There are plenty of recycling centers that take car seats. Depending on the center, they may take the seat as is or they may need the seat stripped down. Get rid of everything that’s not plastic.

Do car seats expire?

There is always an expiration date on car seats. This date is important for the safety of the seat. It must be fully functional with its original parts. Any missing pieces can render the seat unusable, especially parts that were only meant for a temporary fix.

Does Walmart accept used car seats?

Walmart announced they are accepting used car seats for recycling, and in return, you will receive a $30 Walmart gift card. If your little one is moving up to a new “big kid” car seat, you can roll that gift card over to the purchase of a new car seat or booster. This is a special event and will run from September 16-30th to coincide ...

Does Target recycle car seats?

Target has been accepting car seats for recycling since 2016, and to date have recycled half a million car seats! Through its trade-in recycling programs, Target has recycled over 11.9 million pounds of plastic.

Car Seat Recycling

The vast majority are thrown away at the end of their life cycle of life because they are hard to recycle. Every year, between recalls, damaged car seats that were in car accidents, or child safety seats that are just past their prime, roughly 180 million pounds of valuable material ends up in landfills.

Recycling is as easy as 1-2-3

Recycle any brand of old child safety car seat by ordering a recycling kit. The kit includes a custom shipping and recycling bag and a prepaid shipping label. You can also select either a $10 off or a 10% off coupon to be used on clekinc.com

Off To A Good Start

So far, we recycled over 500,200 car seats across the U.S. That's over 7.5 million pounds of waste diverted from the landfill Over 5 million pounds of plastic recycled! But with over 10 Million old, recalled, expired or, damaged car seats discarded in the U.S. every year, we still have a long road ahead.

How to dispose of a car seat?

If for some reason the seat can’t be recycled, donated, or traded in, it can be thrown away with the trash. There are, however, a few guidelines to follow before doing so. They’re similar to the recycling guidelines and there to ensure it can be disposed of efficiently: 1 Remove all extra padding and foam. 2 Cut away any straps. 3 Remove all metal pieces from the seat. 4 Mark the seat. You should clearly mark it as “UNSAFE” or “EXPIRED” on the bare plastic seat so nobody will be tempted to reuse it. Then you can set it out with the rest of your garbage.

What to do if your car seat is expired?

If you do find that the car seat is expired or it’s been in a moderate to severe car crash, there are still things you can do. 1. Trade-In Events. Some big-box stores usually hold car seat trade-in events throughout the year. As far as we can see, the only store that still does this is Target, but there may be others.

Who is Kristen Gardiner?

Kristen Gardiner, CPST. Kristen Gardiner, CPST is a writer, wife, and mother to three boys. Kristen became certified as a Child Passenger Safety Technician by Safe Kids Worldwide in 2015 and loves to volunteer and help educate parents about car seat safety. She has a passion for all things related to child safety.

Can you reuse a car seat?

If you want to reuse the seat, make sure to give it a good scrub down. Be sure to follow the cleaning instructions in your car seat manual. This is especially important if it’s been packed away for a bit. It’s still in good condition: Check for broken pieces or other wear and tear.

Can you recycle a seat?

If for some reason the seat can’t be recycled, donated, or traded in, it can be thrown away with the trash. There are, however, a few guidelines to follow before doing so. They’re similar to the recycling guidelines and there to ensure it can be disposed of efficiently: Remove all extra padding and foam.

Do you have to replace a car seat after a crash?

Some car seat manufacturers require you to replace the car seat after any crash, even if it was only minor. It’s clean: Of course, you don’t want your second (or third, fourth, etc.) child to have to use a dirty car seat. If you want to reuse the seat, make sure to give it a good scrub down.

How to recycle car seat?

If a specialized program doesn’t exist near where you live, you can recycle as much of the seat as possible by yourself. Baby car seats are tough to recycle as they are made using several materials, each of which has to be separated from individual waste streams. Here is how to do it: 1 Cut off the fabric, foam padding, and harness straps from the seat, using scissors. 2 Use a screwdriver to remove as much metal as you can. 3 Remove the car seat cover and all padding underneath. 4 Recycle the fabric, foam padding, straps, and mixed metal-plastic pieces and small plastic pieces. 5 The plastic has to be marked unsafe or expired (use a marker) 6 Recycle plastic body and metal components.

What states have car seats that can be recycled?

As of now in the US, the following 13 states have recycling options for car seats: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, and Washington. You can check out the updated list of states, along with contact details of various programs HERE .

How to remove seat cover from car?

Cut off the fabric, foam padding, and harness straps from the seat, using scissors. Use a screwdriver to remove as much metal as you can. Remove the car seat cover and all padding underneath. Recycle the fabric, foam padding, straps, and mixed metal-plastic pieces and small plastic pieces.

Can you use an expired car seat?

The United States Highway Transportation Safety Administration says there is no regulation prohibiting parents from using an expired car seat , but on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website, parents are advised “The seat has labels stating the date of manufacture and model number.

Does Target have a car seat trade in program?

So if anyone who had old car seats collecting dust, they could trade them in at Target stores and get coupons for 20% off towards new ones. These measures not only reduce household clutter but dispose of them in a safe and environment-friendly manner. Target has collected a whopping 176,000 car seats since the start of its trade-in program!

Do you have to buckle up in a car seat in Canada?

Canada. In Canada, all provinces and territories require babies to be buckled up in the appropriate car seat. Several provinces also require booster seats for kids who have outgrown a baby car seat but are still too small for a regular seat belt.

How old do you have to be to donate a car seat?

is up to date – avoid donating a car seat older than 10 years old. must be in good condition – before donating, make sure to check if your old car seat is in a terrific condition. is well-documented – you should know the history of your car seat before donating it to others.

What is the alternative to car seat recycling?

The first alternative to car seat recycling is donating. If you cannot find a recycling centre that caters to your car seat recycling needs, then why don’t you just donate it?

What are the components of a car seat?

Components of a car seat must include rigid plastic, metal, and fabric. Additionally, they are strongly bonded together, so recycling a car seat is hard. Some recycling centres don’t accept them because of this.

What is hard rubbish?

Let us first discuss what it is and how it can help in car seat recycling. An item is classified as hard rubbish if it cannot fit in a regular bin. Items like fridges, couches, cupboards, wardrobes, televisions, mattresses, building material, and many others.

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