The Fayetteville Police Department is partnering with the Boston Mountain Solid Waste District to collect and recycle used car seats during an upcoming child passenger safety event on June 30 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Northwest Arkansas Mall parking lot near the southwest corner of the property.
After collection, the used car seats will be transported to Ecotech Consumer Products in Fayetteville, where the materials will be processed and recycled. Car seats are made largely from No. 5 plastic, a material that standard curbside recycling programs cannot accept. Ecotech specializes in reclaiming No. 5 plastic and turning it into new consumer products such as dog bowls, trash cans and luggage.
The June 30 event offers a rare opportunity to both recycle an old car seat and receive a new one in a single stop. Certified technicians will inspect car seats, provide installation assistance and distribute new car seats to qualifying families. The department typically has around 100 car seats available and carries all types, from rear-facing infant seats to forward-facing seats and boosters. Seats are distributed on a first come, first served basis. Children must be present to receive a replacement seat.
Residents who can’t make the event can still drop off car seats for recycling year-round through the Boston Mountain Solid Waste District’s program at the Springdale Recycling Center, though replacement seats will not be available there.
Unlike cardboard boxes, aluminum cans or plastic bottles, car seats can’t simply be tossed into a curbside recycling cart. Many also can’t be donated because they may be expired, damaged or no longer meet current safety standards. As children grow, families often cycle through multiple seats, and the result is a bulky item made from a combination of plastics, metal, foam, fabric and webbing that traditional recycling programs can’t process. Many end up stored in garages and attics before eventually going to a landfill.
Most manufacturers assign expiration dates to car seats, often six to 10 years after the date of manufacture. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, families should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and replace seats once they reach their expiration date. Car seats may also need to be replaced after a moderate or severe crash, as crash damage is not always visible.
Every child eventually outgrows a car seat. For Northwest Arkansas families, June 30 is a chance to make sure that seat gets a second life as something new rather than disappearing into a landfill.
