Almost 30 million pounds worth of car seat materials end up in American landfills every year — which is a lot.
But the reason why is no mystery. These products actually have expiration dates, after which they can't reliably protect the kids that use them. As a result, they're more difficult to share or reuse, and on top of that, they're comprised of many different components that all need to go to different places to be processed properly.
Luckily, your local Target store may be offering a car seat recycling program, where you can offload your old seat with some peace of mind — and get a nice coupon at the same time.
How does Target's Car Seat Trade-In program work?
It's pretty darn simple. First, see which Target stores near you are offering the program by using this search function on the website. Then, bring your old car seat into one of the drop-off boxes near the Guest Services counter. And that's it.
To get your coupon, there will be signs posted near the drop-off boxes that will have a code you can scan with your phone. You'll get a digital coupon for 20% off car seats, booster seats, strollers, and other similar products. And as a bonus, each coupon is redeemable twice!
Why should I participate in Target's Car Seat Trade-In program?
For starters, if you're a parent and need a new car seat, you may as well save some money on one, because they're not exactly inexpensive.
More broadly, we've got enough plastic junk in our landfills already. Car seat recycling programs are relatively uncommon, so while you've got the chance to get rid of a broken, unneeded, or expired car seat, why not do it in the most environmentally friendly way possible?
By bringing it in and recycling it, your old car seat can be transformed into new products like construction materials, pallets, buckets, steel beams, and more, which is a far better fate than taking up space in a landfill somewhere.
And besides, unlike some other recycling programs offered by retailers, you don't have to buy anything to participate — so you've got nothing to lose.
To learn more, check out Target's FAQ page about the program. Don't drag your feet for too long, though, because the program ends on May 13, 2023.
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