What To Do With An Old Baby Car Seat? How to Recycle a Car Seat?

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What To Do With An Old Baby Car Seat? How to Recycle a Car Seat? 

Check out our ideas on what to do with an old baby car seat. Learn why car seats expire, how to recycle a car seat, and where to take an old car seat to trade-in.

black mom buckles up her baby into a car seat harness

A baby car seat is an essential item when your family travels with a small child. But kids grow quickly, and you can go through two or three car seats in a span of a few years. Unless you have younger kids or friends with kids who you can hand down your car seat (unless it is expired, on it later), you won’t likely have any use for it. As a result, many parents are asking the same questions. What to do with the old baby car seat? How can I recycle an expired car seat? Where to take the old car seat to ensure it doesn’t end up in the landfill?

At times, we are tempted to dump our old car seat in an attic or the corner of the garage, where it sits collecting dust until it expires. However, there are many better options for what to do with an old car seat. Let me bounce some ideas off you here adding to your parents' resources!

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When You Can NOT Reuse or Resell a Car Seat

First things first.

If your Baby Car seat has been in an accident, has expired, or was recalled, you should STOP using it immediately. To attempt to donate or resale it in these circumstances could be illegal.

In addition, depending on where you live, there may be additional requirements.

For example in Canada, you cannot advertise, sell, or give away car seats or booster seats unless they meet current Transport Canada safety requirements. You may need to check with the manufacturer to see if your seat meets current technical requirements. Their requirements and the regulations can change from time to time, so it is important to always check.

Provided your old baby car seat still meets local regulations and safety standards, you can reuse and pass along to your friends or family. 

You can check out the Consumer Reports website for more information. They also have a cool tool there, based on Q&A that helps you to find the answer to “Can I Reuse My Car Seat for My Next Child or Give It to Someone Else?”

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Baby Car Seat Expiry Explained

Canada certified standards car seat label

All manufacturers of baby car seats and booster seats in Canada determine an expiry date on their seats. 

Car seats have expiration dates because the components wear out over time. 

An expiration date tells you about the integrity of the seat’s parts like webbing, foam, buckles, plastic, and so on. They experience wear and tear over time, which hampers their ability to provide optimal protection for a child during car accidents. 

The expiry varies from manufacturer to manufacturer due to different materials and components used in production.  The date of manufacture and the expiration date is found on a sticker, usually affixed to the bottom or back of the car seat.  

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Many parents believe that you can actually be fined for using a car seat past the expiration date. Is that so?

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. 

The provincial and territorial laws also say that the baby car seats and booster seats must be certified to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and must be used according to the manufacturer's instructions (including discontinuing use on the stated expiry date). If you don't follow the instructions – you may be putting your child’s safety at risk and you may be found guilty of breaking the law.

The reason I say “may” is because I could not find anything about an expiry on a car seat in the actual law. For example Province of British Columbia requires kids to be properly restrained, yet an expired car seat is not an issue that is mentioned.

Similarly, in Alberta, the law does not specify which type of seat must be used, only that it must be installed properly and the child is safely secured. The fine for not following this law is $155.

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The USA

Surprisingly, in the US there is not a single actual law that prohibits resale or reuse of car seats past its expiration date. 

A popular US journalist Adam Minter uncovered this fact while writing his book, Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale. According to the answers he got, car seat expiration dates are more about increasing consumption than increasing protection. There is no law, Minter learned, because there is nothing proving the age alone makes a car seat unsafe. 

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. You need this information to find out if there is a recall on the car seat or if the seat is too old.”

In our opinion, however, if you make a decision to use an expired car seat for your own child – you may be exposing your child to not being fully protected during accidentssummer.2018.  Reselling an expired car seat would at the very least, be completely unethical. 

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“Donate your car seat!”, as practice shows, is easier said than done. 

The reality is: many places where you could donate other household stuff don’t accept baby gear and accessories such as cribs, bassinets, high chairs, car seats, and so on, due to safety and liability reasons. 

In Canada, sometimes a local car seat technician might like the seat to use for training purposes. These guys in Canada usually have exemptions to use seats for this purpose from Health Canada. Here is where you can find a local car seat technician in Canada.

Other than these few exceptions, you can’t really donate an old baby car seat. This is why you should look at trade-in programs, private reselling, and recycling establishments for a solution on what to do with an old car seat.

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How Can I Privately Resell An Old Baby Car Seat?

resell or trade-in car seats garage sale sign

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Reselling a car seat isn’t usually recommended, but you can do so if it is in near-perfect condition. There are plenty of platforms where you can sell it off. The most popular options are Online Boards like Craigslist & Kijiji, mobile apps such as LetGo, your local Facebook Groups for Moms.

When selling an old car seat, you should consider a whole bunch of things, otherwise, you can get into serious trouble later. Did you know you can actually get sued if a child is injured during a car accident sitting in a car seat you re-sold to the family? That’s right. 

Here is the list of things to adhere to:

  • The car seat never has been in a moderate to a serious crash. 
  • The old car seat has to be from the “original owner”. Being the “original owner”, you are aware of the full history behind how the car seat was used, so you can vouch for it. 
  • Baby car seat can’t have any missing components or parts that you have replaced on your own.
  • Check the expired date before you list it on sale. Reselling an expired car seat would at the very least, be completely unethical. 
  • The car seat shouldn’t be under recall. In case it was recalled, you have to be 100% sure that it was fixed as per the manufacturer’s instructions. You can register your car seat with the vendor website as soon as you buy it to get updates on recalls.
  • Ideally, the safety manual and registration card should be included, though if you have lost the original manual most car seat manufacturers have PDF versions online. 

Reselling an old car seat is a tricky domain so proceed only if you check all the boxes. Otherwise, it may be better to destroy or properly recycle car seats. Better safe than sorry.

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If You Are Considering Buying a Used Car Seat

Are you considering buying a second-hand car seat for your child in Canada? Here are a few safety precautions to keep in mind:

  • Make sure the car seat meets the current Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard and has a National Safety mark on it.
  • Check that the car seat comes with warnings, guidelines for use, installation instructions, and date of manufacture.
  • Make sure the car seat is not expired. When in doubt, contact the manufacturer. Each car seat has a sticker with a serial number – it will be easy for Customer Support to look it up.
  • Make sure the car seat's restraint and the anchoring system are in good working order. Only purchase car seats that are in good condition with no damage or missing parts.
  • Ask if the car seat has not been in a vehicle during a collision. If the seller does not know the history of the car seat, do not buy it.
  • If you want to be sure that the seller knows full history, ask them for an original proof of purchase – a receipt or online order confirmation they may have received when the car seat was originally purchased. 

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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 Canada‘s strict requirements – which sometimes differ from that of other countries.

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

Canada NSVAC certification label for baby gear

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.

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Car Seat Trade-in Programs

Many technology providers and car dealerships offer trade-in programs where you can give out your old device for credit. Similarly, we were eager to see if there is anything like that applied to baby car seats. Here are our findings:

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Trade-in Programs in Canada

There are no known trade-in programs in Canada for baby car seats.

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Trade-in Programs in the USA

Walmart 

Walmart had partnered with TerraCycle during the National Baby Safety Month. This allowed you to trade in old seats in exchange for a Walmart gift card amounting to $30 USD! The program was immensely successful and quickly reached capacity as they collected almost a million car seats. This is Walmart’s very first car seat trade-in program. The gift card received could be used to purchase a new baby car or a brand new car seat.

This program gives families from coast-to-coast a safe way to dispose of their car seat while protecting the environment. Recycling these products is like diverting the plastic equivalent of approximately 35 million water bottles from landfills. TerraCycle works with subcontractors around the country to take the car seats apart, separate them by the components and recycle.

Check regularly, as Walmart might be running this program again in the future.

Target 

In April 2018, Target had announced the return of its 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! 

Same as Walmart, check regularly, as Target might run this program again soon.

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How To Properly Recycle Expired Baby Car Seat?

recycle car seats sign next to an asian baby

Curbside recycling programs don’t typically accept children’s car seats even if you take them apart first. Some areas have specialized recycling depots that will take old car seats. Otherwise, it will need to be destroyed.

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Recycling Programs in Canada 

In Canada, all recycling programs are provincially regulated. 

In British Columbia for example, child car seats are not included in government recycling programs. There are some private options available. To find out if there's a recycling option in your area contact the Recycling Council of BC – 604- 732-9253 or 1-800-667-4321.

As of this writing, the following places recycle car seats. But since the terms are constantly changing, please call ahead to confirm before you head out to their drop off location. 

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Canada-wide

TerraCycle.ca has an active program of recycling any non-electronic baby gear. 

How it works: you buy a box from them, pack the stuff and ship to them. 

The collected car seat is manually separated into fabrics, metals, and plastics. Fabrics are reused, upcycled, or recycled as appropriate. Metals are melted so they may be recycled. The plastics undergo extrusion and pelletization to be molded into new recycled plastic products.

Yes, you will have to pay TerraCycle for recycling, sometimes quite a bit (eg. large box is over $200). But in the end, you can rest assured your car seat did not end up in a landfill. Something your kids will say “thank you” to you down the road.

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British Columbia

Pacific Mobile Depots will recycle car seats for a fee of $13 if you fully dismantle it. Or a bit of a larger fee of $20 if they roam the destruction on your behalf! 

Gibsons Recycling Cost is $5 per seat.

Queensborough Landing Return-It – cost is $10 per seat. 

Waste Control Services – $7 per car seat

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Alberta

Re-MATT Recycling

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Ontario

Green Propeller recycles your old expired car seat for a small fee.

Altmo.ca

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Disclaimer: The programs included in this list have not been thoroughly examined on where the recyclable materials are shipped and what happens downstream. We are relying on the recycler’s self-reporting and are listing them here in good faith. Our inclusion of these programs is not an endorsement nor a guarantee of the quality of the service offered or provided.

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Recycling Programs in The United States

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

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Brands and Manufacturers Now Offer Recycling Programs!

Surprisingly, the World leadership for car seat recycling comes from Australia, where they have recently made car seat manufacturers pledge to create wider recycling programs. Britax, Infasecure, and Dorel sell 80% of car seats in Australia and are fully on-board with the initiative. Hopefully, we should see their programs extended to Canada and the USA.

The good news is that even today some car seat manufacturers already offer recycling programs. For example, if you own a Clek Brand car seat you can recycle it for a small fee of about $40.

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Self-Recycle

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:

  • 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.
  • The plastic has to be marked unsafe or expired (use a marker)
  • Recycle plastic body and metal components.

However, even before you dismantle the seat, talk to the local department of public works or recycling facilities if the plastic from the seat is accepted in the local recycling program.

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Dumping Your Old Car Seat

landfill full of waste. avoid at all costs

When faced with a situation where there are no recycling options available in your area, it is best to destroy the car seat and take it to the local dump. 

Remove the cover, cut the harness, and write “expired – do not use” in marker. Bag it up and put it out with your garbage, or take it to the dump. Make it unusable for anyone else so they don’t unknowingly compromise the safety of their child by using an expired car seat.

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I want to be clear that destroying and taking an old expired car seat to a landfill is an option of a very last resort. Anything, literally anything, is better than creating even more waste. 

Frankly, I would even consider sticking that car seat into my storage locker, basement, or garage to sit there and collect dust until a local recycling program is introduced. With the current trend towards the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle movement, waste reduction, sustainability and eco-lifestyle, hopefully, we won’t wait much longer before we are able properly recycle car seats anytime anywhere.

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Ugh… this was a pretty serious conversation. Wanna lighten-up a bit? Check out our collection of funny road trip memes and jokes! 100++ Hilarious Road Trip Memes and Cartoons Speaking Truth About Family Travel

Do you have any other ideas on what to do with expired car seats? how to recycle car seats? Or maybe you know of any other local recycling programs for the old baby gear? Leave a comment!

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Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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Share your pictures on social media! tag #PerfectDayToPlay to be featured on our Instagram! 

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Alexandra is an award-winning Vancouver Mom-blogger & YouTuber, travel addict, children's author, and a serial entrepreneur. Her focus is on family travel, outdoor adventures, eco-lifestyle, and teaching kids independence, sustainability, and appreciation for the natural environment. Work w/me: ask@perfectdaytoplay.com

Blog Comments

I agree with all the precautions in place and support the initiative. I would be interested in the results of any studies or documented test results that may have been done on expired seats. It s not inconconceiveable that manufacturers. Could be building in obsolescence prematurely. I would be interested in any tests done on expired seats that supports thesé assertions.

Very informative post we should be very cautious while buying a car seat for them because their safety is our first priority.

Great post, This information, along with other specialists used by ICBC can be found at ICBC’s website where they detail their vendor payments. You can also compare the specialists MSP billings, which is readily available to the public.

Thanks for sharing a wonderful post on the baby car seat.

Very informative and helpful post. It will help to choose to the best car seats.

It is an excellent post. It helps to travel with a car seats. Highly expected more post like this.