SeatSmart

Child Car Seat

Recycling

Imagine 40,000 car seats sitting end to end…

They would stretch from Auckland’s Queen Street to Manukau. That’s the minimum number of car seats that expire every year in New Zealand.

Don’t let your expired or damaged car seat end up in landfill or be sold.

Our Programme

Locations

Find your nearest collection site and check what recycling fee applies

Locations

Download More Information

Expiry Dates

Find out how to read
the expiry date or date
of manufacture on your seat

Find out more

Supporters

Check out the
companies and organisations
who support SeatSmart

Our Supporters

Reasons to recycle

Why recycle your car seat?

There are lots positive environmental and social outcomes from recycling your seat:
– Diverting tonnes of plastic and metal from landfill each year;
– Providing dismantling work for people who have a disability, or are disadvantage or marginalised;
– Improving child safety by raising awareness of seat expiry dates;
– Lowering the use of virgin materials to make new plastic and metal; and
– Providing used materials to be repurposed into new items.

Who dismantles your seats?

From 1 November 2018, we’re moving to paid dismantling for the majority of seats. This is due to increasing volumes and the growing complexity of the seats we collect. We will use two services:
– Social Enterprise – a paid service that provides employment for people who have a disability or are disadvantaged or marginalised; and
– Department of Corrections community work programmes – a free dismantling service providing useful indoor work for offenders, used for a limited number of seats.

The nitty gritty

Is there a cost to recycle?

From 1 November 2018, we will charge our collection sites a fee of $25 incl. GST (recommended retail price) per seat we collect to cover the costs of recycling. What you pay when you take in your seat can vary.

Some of the cost may be covered by your local council which may have chosen to provide a recycling incentive to encourage waste minimisation.

Check fee in your area