It Drives Me Nuts That You Can't Recycle...Infant Car Seats

I've been doing this feature for a bit now where I dig into recycling questions.

Why can't we recycle something?

Or can we?

Along the way, several of you have asked great questions about things you always wondered if you could recycle (or why you couldn't).  Jamie was one of those people.

She wrote me and asked

"Why can't we recycle car seats?"

Now most of us who are parents know that car seats have an expiration timeframe.  That their safety and efficacy wears out over time.  That if you are ever in an accident, you should get a new one.  And that you should never buy one used.

Which leads to the question: So what happens to all of the car seats out there?  More than 4 million babies are born in the USA each year.  It's safe to assume that most of them have a car seat.

What happens to all of those car seats?

Typically you hear the following advice:

• Destroy it!
• Cut it to bits!
• Pulverize it!
• And then bag it up in separate trash bags! (Geez, sounds like a crime scene.)

But I am ridiculously excited to tell you that there is another option.  You can recycle it!

There is a company called Baby Earth and they have a recycling program.  Through that program, they will take:

• Strollers
• Car Seats
• Swings
• Jumpers
• High Chairs
• Diaper Bags

FOR FREE!  They then disassemble the items and send the various parts and pieces off to be recycled (fabrics, plastics, metals, etc.).

All you have to do is pay to ship it yourself.  Seriously.  A few bucks and the ability to say that you were not one of the 4 million car seats that went to a landfill last year.  And, to sweeten the deal, they will send you a $5 coupon for their site just for doing it. They have an extensive line of baby clothing, gear, eco-friendly items and more to shop from.

Do you have a question about something you wish you could recycle?


*I have not been compensated in any way for this post.  Just writing about it because I want to.