How many car seats are thrown away each year?

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
I'm in the very early stages of trying to set up a car seat recycling program in my area. I'd like to give some solid numbers about "car seat waste," but...I don't have any.

Has anyone run across an estimate of how many car seats are thrown away in the US each year? Does anyone have numbers for their particular city/state/program, etc?

I think any numbers will help--even if it's just the number of seats thrown away after seat check events. How many seats did YOUR organization toss last year?

I'm grasping at straws here, I know :p
 
ADS

safeinthecar

Moderator - CPS Technician
In my experience, none. Every broken, old, dangerous car seat in the world is for sale down at the local swap meet.
 

ShumNum

Senior Community Member
At our hospital (about 40 beds for which car seats are checked..long story), I throw away about 10 a year. HTH!
 

Patriot201

Car-Seat.org Ambassador
My sister would love you for trying to set up a recycling program. She is SO upset about the number of seats that get thrown away instead of being recycled.
 

momofmany

New member
IS there a way to recycle them? I will be retiring 3 or 4 very shortly, and would love to recycle them if possible.
 

PixieEMT

New member
What types of plastics are they usually made of ? We only recycle types 1 and 2 near me.

I'm assuming you would have to remove the covers and straps and just recycle the shell?
 

Judi

CPST/Firefighter
I think I got 6 a month to throw away. That includes a car seat clinic a month. I am now recycling them.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
Thanks, folks. Keep the numbers coming. ANY numbers you can give me will help.

IS there a way to recycle them? I will be retiring 3 or 4 very shortly, and would love to recycle them if possible.

I came across links recently to programs in Colorado and Portland. (I think a couple of the people here take advantage of the Portland program.) It seems like the main issue is finding someone willing to disassemble the seats to separate the recyclable parts (metal, and, apparently, #5 plastic).
 

bethng

Active member
My instructor said that we had a recycle program here in the seattle/tacoma area. I forget the details. But I will ask her about it.
 

sunnymw

New member
I would totally enjoy disassembling/destroying and sorting! That is totally my personality!!

(Anyone in Southwest GA wanna do all the rest? LOL)
 

sb518

New member
Maybe post a poll in a new thread and ask the people here. That can be your statistic. "Out of 40 people asked, the average amount of carseats thrown out in the last year was 3 seats per person." :ROTFLMAO:
 

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