What happens to the car seats that Target collects? It has teamed up with recycling company TerraCycle to have them recycled. Target and TerraCycle have kept more than 4.6 million pounds of car seat materials out of landfills since the program started in 2016.

If you've been a parent for more than six months, you probably have baby gear stashed in the top of your closet or attic or storage or, well, you get the idea. For some of us, it stays there until another baby needs it, or until it's time for a spring clean, neighborhood yard sale, or donation run. Many of us save car seats for years, "just in case," but can you return an expired car seatwhen you don't need it anymore?

Tom Szaky, the Hungarian-born CEO and founder of TerraCycle, dreams of chewing gum, cigarette butts and ocean plastic. His Trenton, New Jersey-based company aims to accelerate the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, a breakthrough in materials science, energy storage and other technologies, by cleaning up after heaps of waste and inventing inputs for items spurned by ordinary recyclers.

There’s something called the Law of Unintended Consequences, in which a person, agency, or government takes action — typically something intended to do good — but it leads to other unanticipated problems. And that’s what has happened over the years with the ongoing work to make car travel safer for children.

Have an old car seat lying around? Whether it’s too small for your growing tot, too old or simply time for a new model, Target will gladly take it off your hands… again! In April 2017, Target held the first Car Seat Trade-In program during Earth Month, which was a huge success. Target recycled nearly 80,000 car seats, which equaled more than one million pounds.

Local Target stores offer free car seat recycling through Saturday. The promotion comes at a time when local recyclers have suspended their car seat recycling programs because of changes in what types of foreign waste China will accept. Target’s promotion is offered through New Jersey-based TerraCycle, whose recycling process is based in the United States.

Through Saturday, Sept. 23, you can take your old car seat into Target to get it recycled for free — and pick up a new car seat at a discount.

SAN ANTONIO - Target announced it will accept old car seats children may have outgrown from Sept. 10 to the 23 as part of its car seat trade-in program. Most Target stores -- with the exception of "small format" stores will accept car seats. In return, patrons will get a 20 percent off coupon to put toward the purchase of a new car seat, booster seat, car seat base or travel system.

When your growing-like-a-weed baby outgrows her infant car seat, it'll probably just wind up in the Land of Lost Baby Gear in your basement, destined to collect dust until you back up a truck to haul out all your old stuff years from now. But from September 10 through 23, Target will take that yucky old car seat off your hands, turn it into something brand-new and helpful for the environment, and hand you a 20 percent discount coupon for the next seat in your baby’s journey through the world of baby safety gear.

Target is hosting their Target Car Seat Trade-In Program and will accept any car seats to be recycled and in exchange, guests will receive a 20% off coupon (good for the purchase of a new car seat, booster seat, car seat bases & travel systems) valid at any participating locations (excluding small-format stores).