How to Get Rid of a Car Seat

FOLLOWING CAR SEAT DISPOSAL GUIDELINES CAN SAVE OTHER CHILDREN

If you’re like many parents, you may have a couple of old car seats sitting in your basement or your garage once your kids reach a certain age. Safety experts caution against giving them away unless they’re in near perfect condition and aren’t expired. In fact, most charities won’t even take them. It’s also rare to find a recycling program willing to take car seats – so, what’s a parent to do when they clean out the garage?

Be Careful about Passing it On
It may be tempting to pass your old car seats to other parents, but beware – many seats can be expired and may not protect a child. A car seat’s life span is typically around six years, but the owner’s manual or the sticker on the sides or bottom of the seat will help you find the exact expiration date. Each manufacturer determines the expiration date based on general guidelines.

Why Expiration Dates?
Older seats may not be utilizing newer lifesaving technologies. Prior to 2002, car seats were not equipped with Lower Anchor and Tethers for Children (LATCH), now they are standard for almost all seats. Years of exposure to extreme heat and cold can cause the structure of the car seat to become brittle, compromising the safety function.

Something else to consider – if the car seat has been in any type of accident, it needs to be discarded immediately and should not be passed on. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “Once a car seat’s been in a crash, much like a bike helmet or a motorcycle helmet, it’s no good.”

So, What Can I Do?
Expired, out of date or damaged car seats should not be donated and should always be made unusable before leaving them out for trash collection.

The tips below will help you safely and securely dispose of a car seat:

1. If you have a recycling center in your community check to see if they accept the plastic portion of the car seat
2. Remove all covers and inserts
3. Cut the harness and crotch straps (cut top tether if applicable)
4. Write prominently on the shell – BROKEN DO NOT USE with a permanent marker.
5. If a head restraint and/or base can be easily removed, discard those separately