Got an old car seat that you don’t use anymore? Need a bigger one? Both Walmart and Target are running car seat trade-in events this month in celebration of National Baby Safety Month. This is a good option for those with expired car seats (they eventually expire as the foam and plastic breaks down over time) or ones that have been in any sort of accident and are thus not longer safe. All car seats made after 2009 should be marked with an expiration date by the manufacturer.
Walmart Car Seat Recycling Event is running September 16th-30th, 2019. Customers can trade in used car seat from any brand and in any condition to any participating Walmart store and receive a $30 Walmart gift card. Booster seats are not eligible for this offer. Limit 2 trade-ins per household. The car seats will be recycled through TerraCycle and thus avoid the landfill. Find a participating store and more details here and here.
Target Car Seat Trade-in Event is running September 3rd-13th, 2019. Bring your car seat to Guest Services and get a coupon for 20% off a new car seat, stroller or select baby gear (includes playards, high chairs, swings, rockers & bouncers). The coupon is valid through September 14, 2019. Target will accept and recycle all types of car seats, including infant seats, convertible seats, car seat bases, harness or booster car seats and car seats that are expired or damaged. Materials from the old car seats will be recycled by Target’s partner, Waste Management. More details here and here.
If you’re looking for some suggestions, check out my list of Favorite Baby Gear: This Stuff Survived 3 Kids in 6 Years
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Expiring car seats is a crock [edited to remove offensive language – Jonathan]. Just another money grab by companies to force people to have to buy new product for no reason.
If foam and plastic broke down like you’re claiming, they’d have to “expire” the car too.
I understand your skepticism. However, I do think plastic components of a car seat can break down over time due to UV exposure and temperature exposure. I wouldn’t throw out a car seat that I have used carefully and looks in good condition just because of a stamped date, but I do think it’s good that they started requiring them to stamp the date of manufacture on the car seat. (The expiration date is usually 6 years past manufacturing date.) I would give away or accept a seat to/from a friend that was a year old, but I wouldn’t give away a seat or accept a seat that was 10 years old, so there is a line there somewhere for me.
Cars may not expire, but it’s accepted that a 15-year-old old car is less safe than a new car in many ways. Lots of people include safety as a factor when purchasing cars.
I see this as a way fornfolks with car seats that their kids have grow out of to give to folks with babies on the way. That would be a way to help out friends and family. This is the kind of thing churches and the like could organize.
Ridiculous and GenX FIRE, you are far too naive in my opinion. Car seats are safety equipment – same as a carabiner for rock climbing. When a carabiner falls on the ground, experienced rock climbers mark it as unsafe and use it only for non-loadbearing things going forward. Because you just don’t know if a hairline crack was introduced or not – and that hairline crack could easily lead to a failure that results in severe injury or death. If you receive a used car seat, you are putting 100% trust into the person you are receiving it from that it has never been damaged or in an accident. Because once it’s been in one accident, it’s no longer guaranteed to provide safety in the next accident. For this reason, churches (or schools or any other responsible group) do not organize “car seat swaps”. It’s just not a good or safe idea. We’re in the 21st century in a 1st world country and it’s safety first with our children. These recycling programs are the best place for your car seat you no longer need.
Jonathan, $30 is a great deal from Walmart and thanks for sharing. We recycled two car seats last spring at AAA and only got $5 Walmart cards for each.
Is the walmart program good from 16-30 sept or you have to be there on a specific day. I checked thier online website and it says 9/16. Can someone confirm…. hope walmart improves its websites.. its just terrible…
Looks like the event is happening nationwide 16-30, but each store has a single day that they are accepting seats. From past experience, these trade-in events are typically only single day affairs.