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Can You Donate Car Seats

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Car Seat Recycling & Donation In Arizona

How To Put A Car Seat and Stroller In A VW Beetle
  • People in Arizona can donate their gently used car seats to the Arizona Department of Health Services. These car seats will be inspected to ensure they will provide the protection needed and will be donated to families in need in Mexico.
  • NARPRO, the Network of Auto Repair Professionals, helps collect old or damaged car seats and booster seats to be recycled. It’s a yearly event during which volunteers disassemble all of the pieces and parts.
  • Phoenix Dream Center is on a mission to stop human trafficking, end childhood hunger, and educate tomorrow’s leaders. They accept new car seats.

New Mexico Child Safety Seat Distribution Program

  • Official website:;

The New Mexico Child Safety Seat Distribution Program is a program that provides free child sets to those who need them.

If youre living below the poverty line in New Mexico, then you may be able to qualify for a free car seat.

What To Do With Old Car Seats

Have you caught the spring cleaning bug and now youre not sure what to do with your childs old car seat? As it turns out, there are a ton of different routes to take.

There are a few deciding factors on the various things you can do and a lot of it will depend on the seats condition and expiration date. Were going to cover everything you need to know and more in this article.

So dont worry, were going to help you reclaim the space in your home your childs old car seat is taking up.

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Did You Know That

Canadians can not legally use an American, European, or a car seat from another country in Canada. It may be tempting, as car seats are usually much cheaper south of the border. Yet car seat and booster seat manufacturers produce seats specifically for the Canadian market according to Transport Canadas strict requirements which sometimes differ from that of other countries.

Canada-certified baby gear will have this round label on it:

If you visit Canada briefly, you may be exempt in certain circumstances, depending on the province regulations.;Similarly, if you visit the United States for a vacation, you can bring with you and use your international car seat.

Where To Donate Car Seats

Quick Answer: Can You Donate Car Seats To Goodwill ...

Do you have a car seat to donate? Wheels For Wishes DOES NOT accept donated car seats but there are a few great options when it comes to donating your car seat. Whether it’s best to donate, recycle or trade in your car seat, we have information for you. Donating your car seat can be an excellent option. Recycling and trading in may also work well for your situation. Before doing your research, its important to ask yourself these five questions:

  • Are you giving it to a specific child? If so, does the chair meet the type, height and weight limits for the child? If no, properly recycle the car seat.
  • Are there any broken or missing parts? If yes, recycle it.
  • Has the seat expired? Every car seat has an expiration date. You can find the expiration date stamped on the manufacturer label. This is usually located along the sides or at the base of the car sear. If you cannot find the expiration date, check the manufacture date. Car seats typically expire six years after that date. If the expiration date has passed, you need to recycle the car seat.
  • Has the seat been part of a crash? Whether moderate or severe, recycle it if its been in an accident.
  • Has the manufacturer recalled your car seat? If so, contact them and follow their instructions.
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    Search The Recycling And Disposal Directory

    Ever wonder, “Where can I recycle?” This directory is available to help you find where to recycle, compost or dispose of materials from your household.;

    About this directoryThis information was compiled by Anoka County. ;For additional recyclers in your area, search online. ;Any recycler wishing to be added to this list may contact .;

    DisclaimerThe information provided in this directory is compiled as a service to residents. ;A listing in this directory does not imply endorsement or approval by Anoka County. ;All businesses listed in the directory are responsible for complying with all applicable local, state and federal laws pertaining to recycling, waste disposal and environmental protection.

    Donate To The Vietnam Veterans Of America

    The Vietnam Veterans of America is an incredible organization that will happily pick up most items, with car seats often being on the list. Youll have to check in beforehand before dropping anything off, just to make sure theyre still accepted.

    Our purpose in the household donations program is to raise funds for our mission of supporting veterans, states their website. Therefore, cost-benefit decisions need to be made. The program helps assist all veterans along with their families and has been going strong since 1979.

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    What To Do If You Cant Recycle It

    Its possible to dispose of seats that cant be reused or in situations where recycling isnt feasible. But youll need to take steps to ensure that the car seat isnt usable if it happened to be pulled out of a dumpster or trash can, since the seat may be unsafe.

    Theres no one right way to do this, but ultimately, your goal should be to dismantle the car seat to the point where a baby or child couldnt ride in it. Take out the seat cover, cut off the straps, or even use a hammer or mallet to smash the seat shell . Use a permanent marker to write DO NOT USE,EXPIRED or something along those lines to indicate that the seat should be off limits.

    It might seem a little extreme, but its worth making sure that a baby or toddler doesnt end up in an unsafe seat.

    Facebook Free Groups + Freecycle

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    Many online groups are centered around passing the items you no longer want and asking for the ones you do. This helps keep junk out of landfills and is fiscally responsible for all group members.

    If the stroller you have is in good condition, consider posting it in one of these groups. Youll likely find someone who needs it.

    You can find free groups on Facebook or at FreeCycle.org

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    Can You Sell It Or Give It Away

    Charity and reuse shops do not generally accept used child car seats and parents are advised against buying them second hand because of safety fears.

    This is because, unless they know a seat’s history, they cannot be sure it has not been damaged in an accident.

    Timescales differ between manufacturers, but the Good Egg Car Safety website suggests child car seats should not be used for more than six to 10 years, which “is a recommendation from America that has been adopted throughout Europe”.

    Car Seat Recycling Program

    The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado State Patrol have teamed up with some very special partners at All Recycling;to create a recycle program for car seats. People are encouraged to drop off their old, expired, or damaged car seats to one of the locations below to be safely recycled and kept out of our landfills.

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    Recycle Your Car Seat

    • If you have a car or booster seat in need of recycling, Target Stores are offering recycling at all stores from September 12-24, 2021. This is one of the easiest, most convenient recycling options of the year, so dont miss it! More info here.

    • Recycle at Target April 5-17, 2021

      The Target Trade-In Event is back! Bring your seats to Guest Services at any Target store for recycling. Recyclers are eligible for a 20% coupon for kids gear as well. Event runs from April 5 April 17, 2021. More information here.

    • Target Stores Recycling Event 9/13-26

      Have you been hanging onto a seat in hopes of a trade-in event? Target has your back! Theyve updated some procedures to address COVID and made a few additional changes . Please make sure to read the fine print before you head over. Sunday September 13-Saturday

    Make A Pretend Play Carrier For Your Kids

    Can I Reuse or Donate My Car Seat?

    Kids ambitions can be diverse most times. And, as a parent, you dont want to stand in the way of such ambitions. If your kids are nursing ambitions of becoming a spaceship captain, you can use the old car seats as a spaceship captain chair. You can also repurpose the car seats for as many things as possible to encourage your childrens ambitions.

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    Where You Can Trade In Your Used Car Seat For Savings

    It’s an opportunity to recycle used car seats and save money on a new baby item.;

    Now through Sept. 25, people can trade-in old car seats at Target. Doing so will earn customers a 20% coupon toward a new car seat, stroller or baby gear. On a $200 stroller, that’s a $40 savings.

    To get the coupon, the person must be signed up for the Target Circle app. The coupon expires Oct. 2.

    Many donation shops like Goodwill do not accept car seats due to liability, so disposal options are limited.;

    Target said the event started in 2016, the company has recycled “more than 1,400,000 car seats – or 22.2 million pounds of plastic – and counting.”

    What To Do With Old Car Seats Car Seat Recycling And Donation In All 50 Us States

    Car seats are the most effective way to save lives; they reduce the risk of death by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 to 4.

    But what to do with a used car seat after it’s served its purpose?;

    You can do a few things:

    • Give the used car seat to friends or family
    • Donate the car seat
    • Recycle the car seat
    • Throw the car seat in the trash

    If you decide to give it to friends/family or donate it, you have to be sure about the integrity of the seat – in other words, it should not have been in an accident .

    Also, make sure that the car has not expired and hasnt been recalled.;

    Donating a car seat seems like a very reasonable idea; why throw something when it is in perfect working condition and can be used by one of the many parents who cant afford it, right?;

    Sadly, many charities dont agree; they dont accept used car seats because its hard to be sure about the history of seats and they arent willing to take the risk. This is why we have compiled a list of organizations that accept seats after thoroughly checking them physically and their history and distribute them to people in need.

    Another option is car seat recycling. Car seat plastic can take anywhere from 100 to 1000 years to decompose. We might very well be saving our children now and destroying the planet for future generations.

    Having said that, we’ve also done the research to compile a list of places that do recycle car seats in the US.

    Lets get into it!

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    Child Car Seats: Why Is It So Hard To Recycle Them

    For Mel Kirkpatrick, 25 years of storing her children’s old car seats is a small price to pay for disposing of them responsibly.

    “We recycle absolutely everything”, the retired midwife says. “I steadfastly refuse to put our children’s car seats into landfill.”

    After moving into a smaller home in Northamptonshire six years ago, Mel, 63, and her husband got rid of unwanted possessions, but struggled to shift their five child car seats.

    “I’ve held onto for 25 years, it’s no hardship for me to hang onto them for if they’re going to be recycled properly.”

    Mrs Kirkpatrick is one of a number of parents who have struggled to recycle their old child car seats.

    The law requires children to use an EU-approved car seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm tall, whichever comes first, meaning UK families could go through at least two or three different-sized seats.

    But what happens to the car seats when they are no longer needed and how can they be disposed of sustainably?

    Get A Free Car Seat Near You

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    Heres the thing

    There are so many other small local organizations and charities helping out families with all kinds of stuff that it would be hard to list them all. But you can easily find places and;sites that give away free stuff,;like car seats, near you.

    Heres how to find them:

    • Search on Google: Using search terms like free car seats programs near me or where can I get a infant car seat for free near me.
    • Look on Facebook: Especially check local Facebook groups. These places are a goldmine of information fore finding freebies and saving money.
    • Ask other parents: Ask other people who have kids and are or have been in a similar situation where they got their car seats from.

    Im willing to bet there are tons of small churches, nonprofits and even local government programs where you can score a free car seats for kids or even adults .

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    Can I Put A Car Seat In Recycle Bin

    Car seats in the recycling bin look like something everyone wants to try out. If not for anything, at least to see whether the recycling station will help dispose of it or not. Well, if you are one of these people, this is the proper time to drop that idea. Why though? Lets find out together.

    From the information we provided in the preceding segment on whether car seats are recyclable, you would have seen that, for the most part, car seats are not recyclable. This state of things alone questions why you will want to put a material that wont be accepted for recycling inside the recycling bin.

    Also, the size of a car seat makes it almost impossible for you to put it in the recycling bin. The option you have is to place the car seat beside your recycling bin. And guess what? Since they are not even considered for recycling, the recycling stations would gladly ignore them, and this might constitute a new round of pollution for the environment.

    The only situation where you can put your car seats in the recycling bin is where you have separated the different materials used to make the car seat. This way, you can put the ones that are considered recyclable inside the recycling bin. The rest that is not recyclable can be upcycled for different things around the home or disposed of in the waste bin if they wont serve any useful purpose.

    Car Seat Recycling & Donation In Iowa

    • The Families Helping Families of Iowa Clothing Closet is a free resource for foster families to find clothing, shoes, and supplies for infants, children, and teens in foster care, relative placement, or other approved placement, and those adopted from foster care. According to their website, they accept baby gear that is not expired. Please contact them to see if they will accept your used car seat.
    • Animal Lifeline Thrift Shop: Drop items off at Southwest Ninth Street and Park Avenue in Des Moines, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For furniture or other large items, call first at 515-288-7197. Proceeds from the sale of donated items support Animal Lifeline, a special-needs no-kill animal shelter.
    • Agape Pregnancy Center;offers education and resources to people in need and helps them make informed decisions. Their wish list includes new car seats; if you have a car seat that hasnt been used or you would like to donate a new car seat.
    • The residents of the City of Winfield can recycle their car seats. The City of Winfield contracts with Adams Sanitary Disposal Inc. for solid waste collection and Des Moines County Regional Solid Waste Commission for recycling collection.

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    How Many Recycling Centres Accept Car Seat

    If youre looking for a recycling centre that accepts car seats, here are some of them here in Australia:

    Now, how much car seats are disposed of every year? The answer: 200,000. Unfortunately, most of these disposed of car seats go into landfill. Only a few of them are actually recycled. But the question is why?

    That is because they are made from a mixture of materials. 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 dont accept them because of this. For this reason, what alternatives can we do to properly dispose of car seats?

    Car Seat Recycling: Conclusion

    Can I Reuse or Donate My Car Seat?

    Before thinking about anything else, you should always prioritise your childs safety. Pick the best and up-to-standard car seat there is in Australia.

    Regarding the old ones, try to contact your local council and check to see if they offer car seat recycling services. If they do, good! If not, there are other options you can opt to do, all for the efforts of avoiding it going into landfill. Additionally, you can also opt to ask questions about the hard rubbish collection to make sure that your old car seat gets recycled.

    And please remember, do not use car seats that are older than 10 years. That may put your child in more danger if you use car seats like that.

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