Don’t miss Target’s annual car seat trade-in event.
If you have a used car seat collecting dust in the garage or your child is ready to upgrade to the next size, now is the perfect time to recycle them during Target’s annual trade-in event. The free drop-off program runs for a limited time in April, and has recycled 2.6 million car seats (about 39 million pounds of car seat material) since launching in April 2016. Target’s recycling partners use the plastic and metal materials collected to make new products such as pallets, buckets, construction materials and carpet padding. Here’s what you should know before heading to the store, along with other possibilities for where to recycle car seats.
Target’s Car Seat Trade-In Event
Target’s trade-in program is being held April 14-27, 2024. All types of car seats, from infant chairs to bases and boosters, are accepted regardless of expiration date or damage. Look for drop-off boxes near Target’s Guest Services at any location. If you need to purchase a new size car seat while you’re there, you can take advantage of a 20% off bonus by scanning a sign located near the box which can be applied to a Target Circle account and used until May 11, 2024. In the past the event has been offered bi-annually in April and September, but was only offered once in 2023—so don’t miss this one if you can make it. While this program isn’t the only way to recycle car seats, it is definitely one of the easiest options available and it’s free.
Mail-In
Check with the manufacturer to see if they offer any take-back programs. Clek is one car seat maker that will recycle car seats. The process involves boxing the car seat, then requesting a $49.99 recycling kit from Clek to ship it back in.
TerraCycle offers a mail-in car seat recycling service available year-round, but you must order a Zero Waste Box system ranging in price from $140 to $263 based on the size of the box needed. Other baby gear items can be added to the box for recycling.
Donation
Because of expiration dates and safety recalls, it is not easy to donate car seats—but if you have a gently used car seat that doesn’t fall into those categories and has never been in an accident, some opportunities to pass on the seat may be available through a charitable organization in your area or to someone else you know in need.
Without a lot of easy options for recycling car seats, Target’s trade-in event is definitely worth jumping on. And if you are not ready to recycle any car seats right now, be on the lookout for future trade-in events.
—Jill Span Hofbauer
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