Our Target guests often tell us they’re looking for sustainable ways to dispose of their old, outgrown car seats. Turns out, it’s not so easy. Some big obstacles:
Car seats are not eligible for most curbside recycling programs.
According to car-seatsafety.org, many manufacturers recommend that car seats expire around the six-year mark. Used seats shouldn't be sold or given away, since they can expire and regulations change constantly.
If a car seat’s been in an accident or is in less than perfect condition, it needs to be replaced immediately.
That means a lot of used car seats end up in the trash. Bummer.
Target wanted to make things easier, so back in 2016, we invited guests to bring used seats to their local Target store and get a great deal on a new one. Since then …
We’ve held six trade-in recycling events (big and small) at our stores so far.
We’ve collected 306,000 car seats and recycled them into new products.
That’s 4.6 million pounds of materials diverted from landfills.
And that’s just the beginning. How much more waste can we save during this month’s event?
One thing’s for sure: Each car seat guests recycle equals one fewer that’s headed for a landfill … and that adds up to a BIG impact for the planet!