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?
What to do with used car seats?
1. Give the used car seat to friends or family
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 (although the NHTSA recommends that a car seat can be reused if it has been involved in a minor crash).
Also, make sure that the car has not expired and hasn’t been recalled.
2. Donate the car seat
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 can’t afford it, right?
Sadly, many charities don’t agree; they don’t accept used car seats because it’s hard to be sure about the history of seats and they aren’t 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.
3. Recycle the car seat
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.
Unfortunately, there is a caveat here too; recycling car seats doesn’t make sense economically.
Car seats are hard to recycle because they are made of a mixture of materials - rigid plastic, metal and fabric - strongly bonded together to withstand high impacts.
It takes a lot of effort to separate these materials and for private companies, it is just not profitable.
Having said that, we've also done the research to compile a list of places that do recycle car seats in the US.
Below you'll find the Web's most comprehensive list of organizations in every US state where you can donate a car seat and recycle a car seat. Let’s get into it!
4. Throw it to the trash (car seat disposal)
If the above solutions are not an option for you, your last resort is to throw your car seat to the trash.
Best Car Seat Recycling and Donation Programs in US
National Car Seat Recycling & Donation
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Arizona
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Arkansas
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in California
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Colorado
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Connecticut
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Florida
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Hawaii
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Idaho
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Illinois
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Indiana
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Iowa
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Kentucky
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Maine
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Maryland
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Massachusetts
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Michigan
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Minnesota
There are a couple of recycling options in Minnesota:
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Missouri
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Montana
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Nebraska
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Nevada
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in New Hampshire
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in New Jersey
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in New Mexico
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in New York
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in North Carolina
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in North Dakota
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Ohio
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Oklahoma
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Oregon
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Pennsylvania
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Rhode Island
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Tennessee
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Texas
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Utah
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Virginia
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Washington
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in West Virginia
Car Seat Recycling & Donation in Wisconsin
How To Recycle Your Old Child Car Seat by Earth911TV
Can you donate car seats to Goodwill?
No, due to Government Rules and laws, Goodwill does not accept car seats.
Can you donate car seats to Salvation Army?
Salvation Army are unable to accept used car seats, due to safety concerns.
What to know about expired car seats
Helpful Tip: Doctor from IU Health share about car seat safety
Read next:
With two kids of my own, I’m passionate about child safety! I’m a research nerd who’s on a mission to make the world a safer place for kids – starting with car seats!
To contact me directly please click here.
The Utah information about the Safe kids Salt Lake Recycling initiative is inaccurate. I emailed them this week and they no longer recycle expired car seats.
In your list of places to RECYCLE a car seat (in Oklahoma) the only places listed are placed that will take donations of new or unexpired car seats. Maybe you should change your list to places to DONATE. This told me nothing about where I can recycle a car seat that is past its expiration.