Car Seat Disposal: How to Recycle or Get Rid of Old Car Seats [2026]

Your disposal options depend on whether the car seat is expired, crashed, or still usable.

Still safe to use (not expired, not crashed): Donate it. Women's shelters, pregnancy centers, fire stations, and organizations like WeeCycle accept non-expired car seats. Post on your local Buy Nothing group or Freecycle — parents looking for car seats request them constantly. Always check the NHTSA recall list before donating — there are currently 50+ recalled models.

Expired or crashed: These cannot be donated or reused safely. Car seats typically expire 6-10 years after manufacture (check the label on the base). Expired plastic can crack on impact, and crash-tested seats may have invisible structural damage. Your best options are Target's trade-in program, a dedicated recycling facility, or de-manufacturing and trashing.

Multiple baby items to get rid of: If you're clearing out a nursery — car seats, strollers, cribs, highchairs — Dropcurb picks up everything curbside for $79 per item. Set it all outside and book online for same-day pickup.

Target runs a biannual car seat trade-in event — typically once in spring and once in fall. The spring 2026 event is predicted to start around April 26, 2026.

How it works: Bring any car seat (any brand, any condition — even expired or damaged) to the Guest Services desk at any Target store. Drop it in the recycling box. Receive a 20% off coupon for a new car seat, stroller, or select baby gear. The coupon works in-store and online.

What they accept: Infant car seats, convertible car seats, booster seats, car seat bases, and all-in-one car seats. Any condition, any brand, expired or not.

The catch: The event runs for about two weeks and happens only twice a year. If you miss the window, you'll wait 4-6 months for the next one. The 20% coupon has exclusions — check Target's fine print for which brands and items qualify.

Walmart update: Walmart's car seat recycling program has closed as of 2026. Target is currently the only major retailer running a regular car seat trade-in program.

Yes — about 90% of a car seat's materials can be recycled, including the metal frame, plastic shell, and fabric. But most curbside recycling programs won't accept whole car seats because they're mixed materials.

Dedicated recycling programs: Organizations like Car Seats Colorado offer free drop-off year-round. Check carseatrecycling.com for facilities near you. Some children's hospitals run recycling programs — Children's Hospital Los Angeles is one of the few car seat recycling locations in LA County.

Safe Kids events: Safe Kids Worldwide runs free car seat inspection events around the country. Many of these events accept old seats for recycling. Check safekids.org for events in your area.

DIY recycling: If no program exists near you, de-manufacture the seat yourself. Remove the fabric cover (trash it), cut off all harness straps and buckles, separate the metal frame from the plastic shell. Take the metal to a scrap recycler and the plastic to a plastics recycler if your area has one. The foam padding goes in the trash.

If you can't recycle or donate your car seat, de-manufacturing it before trashing ensures nobody pulls it from the garbage and reuses an unsafe seat. Child safety experts strongly recommend this for expired and crashed seats.

Cut all harness straps and webbing — Use heavy scissors or a box cutter to cut through every strap. This prevents anyone from reinstalling and using the seat.

Remove or destroy the label — Cross out or remove the serial number, manufacture date, and model information. Write "EXPIRED" or "DO NOT USE" in permanent marker on the shell.

Remove the fabric cover — Pull off the removable padding and cover. These go in regular trash.

Separate if possible — If you can disassemble the plastic shell from the metal frame, do so. Some municipalities accept the separated materials in recycling bins.

Put it in the trash — Place the de-manufactured seat parts in your regular trash or schedule city bulk pickup. Most municipalities accept car seat components in household waste.

Most Goodwill locations do NOT accept car seats. Goodwill's national policy excludes infant furniture including car seats, cribs, strollers, highchairs, playpens, and baby walkers due to safety liability concerns.

Why charities are cautious: Car seats have expiration dates, recall histories, and crash histories that are difficult to verify. A charity that distributes an expired or recalled seat faces serious liability if a child is injured. Most thrift stores follow the same policy.

Where to donate instead:

• •Women's shelters — Many actively seek car seats for families in crisis
• •Pregnancy resource centers — Accept non-expired seats for new parents
• •Fire stations — Some departments run car seat programs and accept donations
• •WeeCycle — National organization redistributing baby gear to families in need
• •Buy Nothing groups — Post on Facebook for free local pickup
• •Freecycle — Another option for giving to local families

Always disclose the manufacture date, model, and whether the seat has been in a crash. Never donate an expired or recalled seat.

Car seats expire 6-10 years after manufacture, depending on the brand. The expiration date is printed on a label on the bottom or back of the seat, along with the manufacture date.

Why they expire: The plastic shell degrades over time from UV exposure, temperature changes, and general wear. An expired car seat may crack or fail in a crash that a newer seat would survive. Harness webbing also weakens with age.

How to check: Look for a sticker or stamped text on the base or back of the seat. It shows the manufacture date and expiration date. If you can't find it, search the model number on the manufacturer's website.

Common expiration timelines:

• •Graco: 7-10 years depending on model
• •Britax: 6-10 years depending on model
• •Chicco: 6-8 years
• •Evenflo: 6-8 years
• •Nuna: 7-10 years

Once expired, the seat should not be used, sold, or donated — only recycled or de-manufactured and trashed.