County offers car seat recycling

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SALT LAKE CITY -- Don't throw out your child's car seat; recycle it. That's the message behind a new program in Salt Lake County.

There are two big problems with throwing out old car seats: one, they fill up the landfill; and two, after five or six years, the plastics in car seats can become brittle and unsafe. The group Safe Kids Salt Lake County Coalition is kicking off the new community program to target two health and safety issues with one solution.

**Did you know…**![](http://media.bonnint.net/slc/1401/140171/14017158.jpg)

Your infant seat has an expiration date? Even though the car seat may look fine, it is made of plastic and gets brittle once past the expiration date and can no longer be assured to protect your child in an accident. Most infant seats have an expiration date about six years from the manufacturing date. The expiration date is normally listed as a label or provided in the owner's manual.

Most car seats, according to the coalition, should be used no longer than five or six years. Also, they're made of recyclable components. But due to the labor involved in deconstruction, most regular recycling programs can't or won't take them. Now, the coalition has found a recycler that will. The project is getting help from Eagle Scout Troop 7441, which is assisting in coordinating the campaign.

"Many people don't know that car seats actually expire. They have a lifespan of five to 6 years, and the plastics they're made of actually become brittle and they'll shatter if they're hit with a strong impact like a car crash," said Eagle Scout candidate Aaron Richardson.

**Did you know…**

• Motor vehicle crashes are leading cause of death for children • Each year, nearly 1,600 children 14 and under die in vehicle crashes; more than 200,000 are injured • Every day in the U.S., an average of 5 children 14 and under were killed; 548 were injured in vehicle crashes during 2007 • In 2007, 6,532 passengers 14 and under were involved in fatal crashes -*[AAA](http://www.aaapublicaffairs.com/main/Default.asp?CategoryID=7&SubCategoryID=47)*

Safe Kids coordinator May Romo said, "We take great comfort in knowing that we save children's lives by promoting and providing car seats. We want to extend that to promote a better future living environment for those same children whose lives are saved by car seats." Parents dropping off car seats can register to win a free car seat or bike helmet.

Scout Troop 7441 and other volunteers will be on hand to accept car seats next week at a variety of locations in Salt Lake County from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CLICK HERE for a list of the locations.

E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com