What should you do with old car seats in Australia?
If your child's car seat is past the point of repair or reuse, don't just dump it at the tip – here's how to safely and responsibly dispose of it.
Ah, they grow up so fast, don't they? Today your child might be snugly sleeping in their car seat or capsule, and tomorrow they could be moving to a booster seat and beyond.
But what happens to old car seats once they reach the end of their life cycle?
Each year, roughly one million child car restraints – from seats to capsules to boosters – are purchased in Australia, while another 200,000 end up in landfill.
This is partly due to the fact parents are often discouraged from buying second-hand car seats due to the perceived higher risk of damage or deterioration of the crucial safety elements.
However, not all old car seats need to be replaced, and some states even offer recycling programs to save them from entering landfill.
When should you replace or retire an old car seat?
According to Australian government guidance, child seats that have been involved in a car accident or have damaged or frayed straps and cracks in the body of the seat should be retired.
While the general rule is that child seats over 10 years old should also be retired, 2020 research from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) found older child seats still performed well in simulated frontal crashes – provided they hadn't previously been involved in an accident.
“In our laboratory crash testing, we found that these seats were effective in protecting child passengers from head and abdominal injuries,” said Dr Tom Whyte, an injury biomechanics engineer and postdoctoral research fellow at NeuRA.
"However, the force of the crash damaged some child safety seats, so they would not offer the same level of protection if they were involved in another crash later on.”
As a result, NeuRa recommends having any second-hand, older or well-loved child seat thoroughly checked by a licensed restraint fitter to ensure it is fit for use. If you're not sure where to go, head to the relevant road authority or KidSafe website for your state and see where the authorised child seat fitting stations are located near you.
If your child seat is simply dirty or smelly – never fear! Most car seats have removable fabric padding that is machine washable. Simply unclip the fabric from the plastic frame, chuck it in the washing machine and let it air dry before re-attaching it.
Can child car seats be recycled in Australia?
In theory, yes – child seats are made from plastic, metal and textiles, all of which can be repurposed. In fact, it's estimated roughly 80 per cent of the components used in car seats can be recycled.
In practice, however, there is currently no national scheme for child seat recycling, although some states have smaller schemes (keep reading for more information on those).
In early 2023, an organisation called SeatCare received Federal Government funding to provide a trial of free collection points across Western Australia, with plans to expand nationally in late 2023.
However, this trial ended in mid-2023 and a new solution is yet to be found.
"There isn’t an industry-led national collection and recycling scheme for child car seats. The trials have been completed and retailers and importers are actively engaged in finding a solution," a spokesperson for the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water told Drive.
"Child car seats are listed on the 2022–23 Minister’s Priority List. This means the industry is on notice to improve collection and recycling options."
According to this priority list, car seat manufacturers, importers and retailers must establish and implement a voluntary national scheme for "disposal, collection and recycling of unwanted and potentially unsafe child car safety seats" by December 2023.
Donate or recycle? What to do with old car seats in Australia
Depending on the condition of your child car seat, you may choose to exchange it, donate it, recycle it or responsibly throw it away.
Recycle it
Some local councils, car seat suppliers and even motoring bodies offer a recycling service for a small fee. To find out what services are available near you, complete a search on Recycle Mate.
In South Australia, the Royal Automobile Association (RAA) will take your old child seat via its Child Safety Centre at Mile End. RAA members only have to pay $5 to recycle the seat and will receive a $5 gift voucher to use on their next child restraint purchase.
According to the RAA, "The materials recovered from the dismantled seats will be ground up and used as low-emission fuels".
Unfortunately, no such program currently exists for the RACV, NRMA, RACQ, RACT, AANT or RAC WA.
Donate it
If your child seat is less than eight years old (from the date of manufacture), in good condition, has never been involved in a crash and is compliant with Australian standards (with a sticker displaying the standard AS/NZS 1754), you may be able to donate it to a local charity.
Typically, op shops don't accept car seat donations, but some more specialised organisations helping parents in need will be able to take it provided it meets the aforementioned conditions.
See below for the charities and organisations around Australia that currently accept car seat donations:
Exchange it
If your car seat has been involved in a crash, some brands will take it off your hands in exchange for a new one, free of charge.
Both Britax and Maxi-Cosi offer an accident exchange program to their customers and any eligible car seat owners can simply apply online.
You'll need records of the crash including photos and a police report, and details of the specific seat, but you can apply for the Britax program here and the Maxi-Cosi program here.
Repair it
If you only need a minor touch-up, some car seat cleaners double as repairers, using genuine parts from car seat manufacturers to patch up any damage.
However, if your car seat has been damaged in a crash, it's best to replace it rather than repair it, as its structural integrity may have been compromised.
Similarly, any core damage to the plastic shell, buckles and other restraint components may be deemed irreparable for safety reasons.
Safely dispose of it
Unsafe child car seats should be destroyed in such a way that they are not able to be used by others.
To responsibly dispose of old or unsafe seats, make sure you cut the straps and harnesses and remove the fabric covering from the plastic shell.
If a recycling program is not available near you, unfortunately your next best option is to take the car seat to the tip, or to contact your council for hard rubbish collection.
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