Categories ArchivesExpiry Dates

Get your child car seat sorted before the holidays standard

When was the last time you checked if your child car seat is still safe to use or is properly installed? Whether you’re heading off on a classic Kiwi road trip or just popping to the shops, take some time to check your seat (or seats) for damage and make sure the expiry date hasn’t lapsed. That’s the advice from Seatsmart, New Zealand’s only child car seat recycling programme. Programme Manager Toni Bye says it’s something which is easily overlooked, especially at this busy time of year. “A lot of people also don’t know child car seats expire, but on average they have a life of life of six to 10 years. So, if you’ve had a seat for a ...

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Free child car seat checks and recycling in South Wairarapa standard

MEDIA RELEASE: With the summer holidays just around the corner, parents and caregivers in South Wairarapa are being encouraged to check their child car seats. Wairarapa Road Safety Council Projects Coordinator, Holly Hullena says the Wairarapa has seen a huge increase in expired and incorrectly fitted car seats in vehicles. “It’s not uncommon for people to give used seats to family members or friends in goodwill, but eight out of the 10 seats have already expired, putting the next users at risk.” To help caregivers tackle this problem, the Wairarapa Road Safety Council, South Wairarapa District Council and SeatSmart child car seat recycling are joining forces with a seat recycling amnesty and car seat clinic in Featherston in early November. ...

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Thrifty Car Rental takes the sustainability high road standard

MEDIA RELEASE: When economic times are tough it’s often things like sustainability initiatives which get cut back, but one car rental company isn’t letting the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic stop its drive for a better future. As part of its wider move towards greater sustainability, Thrifty Car Rental has the expired or damaged child car seats from its Auckland branches recycled through the SeatSmart programme. Even with the economic impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector, Thrifty has continued this initiative by recently taking another 21 seats in to be recycled. “Even in these challenging and unprecedented times, the importance of reducing our carbon footprint and our goal of becoming a carbon neutral company remains a key priority to ...

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Be SeatSmart before you travel this festive season standard

The road trip is a Kiwi tradition over the holidays, so now is a good time to check the safety of the seat your most precious cargo travels in. The manager of the country’s only child car seat recycling programme, SeatSmart, is urging parents and caregivers to check their children’s seats aren’t expired or damaged before heading off for the holidays. “Many people don’t know that child car seats have expiry dates,” says SeatSmart programme manager Toni Bye. “On average a seat will have an expiry date of six to 10 years.” Plunket Regional Injury Prevention Manager Simone Budel says there are a variety of reason for an expiry date on seats. “Frequent use and exposure to sunlight can damage ...

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Drive to collected expired Wairarapa child car seats for free standard

The Wairarapa Road Safety Council is holding a free two-week collection of expired child car seats from 5 – 19 December. Road safety council Child Restrain Technician Holly Hullena says seats can be dropped off at REAP House (340 Queen Street) in Masterton, the Salvation Army (High Street) in Carterton, and the Featherston Community Centre (14 Wakefield Street) in Featherston. This is the second year the road safety council is running the seat collection project, she says. The Wairarapa region has no car seat rental options, which has led to expired car seats in particular being a huge issue, Holly says. “Although we have outlets such as Farmers, Super Cheap Auto and The Warehouse, all in Masterton, that sell certified ...

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Free child car seat recycling in Ashburton standard

Ashburton residents can now recycle their expired, damaged or unwanted child car seats, for free, through the SeatSmart programme, with collection sites in Ashburton, Rakaia and Methven. This comes after the Ashburton District Council partnered with the national child car seat recycling programme to offer the service. Ashburton is the only district where it is free to recycle a seat, thanks to support from the council. Service Delivery Group Manager Neil McCann says the initiative supports the council’s goal of reducing waste ending up in landfill, which is a great outcome for the community. “We are proud to be partnering with the SeatSmart programme to provide this free service. A variety of common household goods are already accepted free of ...

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Child car seat recycling a sign of the times standard

Media release: Just a few years ago there weren’t many people who would think it was possible to recycle a child car seat, much less have an option to actually do so. However, since the trial and official launch of the SeatSmart child car seat recycling programme over 8,000 seats have been diverted from landfill. The programme may seem rather niche in the greater recycling landscape but it’s a sign of things to come, when the majority of items coming into the household will have a pathway for reuse, repurposing or recycling. The increase in volume through SeatSmart over the last year is also an example of the dramatic change in how the public is starting to think and act ...

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Extreme heat reduces integrity of child car seats standard

While not everyone in NZ deals with the same temperature extremes as Canada (except maybe central Otago!) this is a good reminder to dispose of your child car seat when it expires – “Extreme heat reduces integrity of child car seats”. If you’re unsure how to find the expiry date on your child car seats you can read our guide or talk to a trusted car seat technician. Watch this video from the Weather Network in Canada:

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Problems turn into solutions standard

3R’s project manager Michelle Duncan answers a few questions about our latest programme, SeatSmart. How did it all start? The project started when I had an expired car seat and was told the only disposal option was dumping it in landfill.  For me, landfill should be the last resort, not the only option.  So, I took the issue to my colleagues at 3R and we decided that we could change the outcome. Thanks to the project, the outcome will now be that 92% of the car seat materials brought in can be recycled. When did it launch? The SeatSmart programme launched on 1 April with a pilot in Auckland, Hamilton, Hastings and Nelson. It follows the 18-month initial project which looked ...

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