FamilyEducation Editorial Staff
Breaking news: we’re excited because Target’s Car Seat Trade-In Program is back, and it’s early! The Target Annual Car Seat Trade-in Event is happening Sunday, April 16th, 2023 through Saturday, April 29th, 2023!
Here’s everything you need to know about this great deal for parents looking to trade in their old car seats at Target this Spring.
What is the Target Car Seat Trade-In Program?
Target was the very first major retailer to launch a car seat trade-in initiative for parents back in 2016. In partnership with Target’s partner, Waste Management, the materials from the old car seats are recycled to make items like plastic buckets, tools, and construction materials.
Efforts like this are a win-win, saving parents money in these times of financial hardship while also supporting sustainability efforts for the planet.
Plus, this trade-in event is a great way to finally get rid of those old expired car seats or too-small booster seats that you don’t need rather than throw them out where they just end up in a landfill.
Trading in your car seat to be recycled also ensures they’re not passed on to another family who doesn’t realize the dangers of using an expired or damaged seat)!
Since Target began the program in 2016, more than 2.19 million car seats have been recycled. That’s over 25.4 million pounds of plastic! We love an event that promotes both safety and sustainability!
How the Target Car Seat Trade-In Event Works
To participate in the Target Car Seat Trade-In Event, you bring your car seats to any Target store location. Stores will have drop-off boxes near the Guest Services area where you can leave your seats. There will then be barcodes near each bin that you can scan on your phone.
After you drop off your seat, you’ll receive a 20% off coupon directly in your Target Circle account! You can also scan the coupon with your Target Circle App.
If you don’t have a Circle Account yet, it’s easy to create one by visiting target.com/circle.
This coupon can be used to purchase a new car seat, a stroller, or other select baby gear. The 20% discount applies to both in-store and online purchases.
Want to save even more money? If you open a Target Red Card, you’ll get an additional 5% off of everything you buy at Target.
For the April 2023 Target car seat trade-in event, Target allows two discounts per account.
What Items Are Accepted for the Car Seat Trade-In?
Target stores will accept all types of car seats, including infant car seats, convertible car seats, car seat bases, and booster seats. All brands are also valid and will be accepted.
Target’s car seat trade-in program FAQs note that the company will accept the followings :
- Infant car seats
- Convertible car seats
- Car seat bases
- Car seat parts
- Harness or booster car seats
Does Target Accept Car Seats That Are Expired?
Did you know your car seat can expire? Car seat manufacturers typically give car seat expiration dates of 6 to 10 years after they're made due to deteriorating plastic, outdated technology, or no longer meeting the safety standards of other top car seats in the market.
Obviously, car seat safety is a major priority for parents, but for many families, especially those with more than one child, a good car seat is expensive!
One of the best parts of Target’s Car Seat Trade-In is that they’ll basically accept almost all car seats – dirty seats, broken booster seats, seats with expired bases, and even car seats that have been through a car crash or accident!
What Other Brands Are Doing Car Seat Trade-in Programs in 2023?
If you’re looking for other great car-seat trade-in programs where you can go to recycle your old car seats and score some great deals, both the Walmart Car Seat Trade-In Program and Clek Car Seat Program are excellent options.
Walmart’s program grants participants a $30 gift card to use on baby goods like new car seats, strollers, booster seats and other baby home gear.
Clek’s program runs all year long, but they only accept Clek products. It’s super easy to participate. All you have to do is print a prepaid shipping label from CarSeatRecycling.com, box it up and drop the seat off at any UPS store!
Participants earn their choice of a 10% coupon or $10 off any future Clek purchase.
Learn More
Go to the official Target Car Seat Trade-in Event site to get more information. Happy shopping!
