Guide to Car Seat Donations

Car seats play an important part in child safety when traveling. However, children frequently outgrow these seats faster than we expect. If you have an unused car seat, consider donating it instead of having it collect dust in your garage or, worse, end up in a landfill. Donating car seats not only benefits the environment by minimizing waste, but it also helps families who don’t have child seats in their vehicles. Overall, it promotes child safety for everyone. In this guide, we’ll give you everything you need to know to donate your old car seats and make a difference.

Can You Still Donate Your Car Seat?

Before you consider donating your old car seat, remember that it has an expiry date. Additionally, car seats that have been involved in accidents shouldn’t be used anymore.

Why Car Seat Expiry Dates Matter

Expiration dates help guarantee that your car seat has the latest technology to protect your child. If your car seat isn’t expired, then it still complies with the most recent safety rules. Furthermore, an expired car seat might not be strong enough to take the impact of a crash. Car seat components like webbing, buckles, straps, and foam wear and tear over time. Some plastic materials can also become brittle after some time. Hence, a car seat might not be able to provide an adequate level of crash protection if used for an extended period. Check the owner’s handbook and the labels on the car seat to see if it’s passed its expiration date.

Most car seats have a lifespan of six years or more from the manufacturing date. If the seat is expired, properly dispose of it by removing all fabric and cutting all harnesses and straps so that the car seat can’t be used anymore.

Car Seat Crash History

If the seat was in a crash, the impact forces could’ve damaged the structural integrity of the car seat. Oftentimes, you can’t see this damage with the naked eye. Many car seats appear to be in good condition, with some even passing tests. However, upon closer inspection, many components are cracked, fractured, or distorted. If your car seat has been in a mild to severe accident, properly dispose of it and don’t even consider donating it.

Check Car Seat Recalls

Lastly, check if there’s an open recall for your car seat before donating it. Car seat manufacturers or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issue recalls when they find a car seat that doesn’t meet their safety standards. Check to see whether the car seat has been recalled, and if so, make sure the problem’s been addressed. Not every recall is a safety recall, but every recall is important to follow up on, even if it’s just a minor fix.

Where To Donate Your Old Car Seats

Target, a major retail outlet, has a Car Seat Trade-In Program that encourages parents to recycle their old car seats. They’ll receive a 20% discount on a new car seat in exchange. This project promotes sustainability and responsible car seat disposal.

Alternatively, you can ask around your local community, workplace, or friend group for any people they might know who are in the market for a cat seat. You can try to find interested parents by posting your used seat on local community pages on social media. There are many ways to donate your car seats. Whatever you do, you mustn’t throw a car seat away if it’s still perfectly usable.