Can I Trash It?
If your area does not recycle car seats or their components, it’s time for some demolition. It’s best to render the item unusable before putting it curbside with the trash. This ensures that no one else can use an unsafe child seat. Options include sawing the plastic shell in half, using permanent marker to write “Unsafe” on the shell or taking a hammer to it.
Buyer’s Note: Some companies now manufacture 3-in-1 convertible car seats meant to fit a child from infancy through the booster seat stage. Investing in one of these is a cost-friendly way to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Can I Repurpose It?
If you don’t want to trash the car seat, perhaps your kids have some creative ideas for reuse. Could it become a chair for dolls or stuffed animals, a “rocket ship” seat, a garden planter or a place for Fluffy to curl up?
What are your repurposing ideas? I’d love to read them in the comments section.