Car Seat Question - New Lenox, IL

We are all thinking about cloth diapers for earth reasons, then I wonder to myself... just throw away a seemingly perfect carset? Yes they are made of plastic which might chemically break down in 6 years, but how many years will this last in a landfill? Obviously the plastic should be recycled. Funny to think that my mother had me in a basket in the car FRONT seat (no seatbelts, they weren't required in all vehicles) while she drove stick shift & smoked a cigaratte. Surprisingly, I am alive! So the thought of throwing away a nice carseat because of a plastic expiration date seems almost a bit like the carseat manufacturers' way of boosting sales or maybe covering themselves because of liability & everyone's "happy lawsuits". I guess it doesn't answer your question, just poses many new ones. I would donate it though - someone can't afford one somewhere & having a carseat is most definately better then a basket!

I actually questioned this myself and got a reply on another forum from an engineer who specializes in plastics. What she said is that plastic begins to change and deteriorate as time goes on. (Think about your Mom's tupperware, how it's hard and discolored now but it was pretty and soft back in the day.) So while the seat hasn't been in any accidents, it has had chemical changes that will make it more brittle and weaker. It is certainly not worth the chance of a child's life to use it.

What is recommended is that you don't just throw it out...you are advised to remove the cover from it, spray paint it with an X, and shred/cut the cover. This keeps someone from trashpicking and using it for another child...it's not about being mean it's about keeping any child safe.

HTH.

I got an old used Graco car seat when my daughter was born. Before using it I went on the Graco website and called customer service and they asked me the make and model # and reassured me that it had not been recalled and that it was still a safe model to use. They also went through an over the phone inspection with me to make sure it was still in safe condition with all necessary parts. Then, I looked up the user manual by model # and printed it out from online.
Basically, call the company and ask them, they will tell you if it's safe or if you need to buy another. I was surprised Graco didn't jump at the chance to get me to purchase a new one and told me I could use that one!

I believe after 5 years it should not be used. The plastic starts to get weaker. Someone correct me if I am wrong. I would throw it out.

I saw a segment on a morning show regarding baby products, including car seats. They said the reason for the expiration date was because the plastic can get warped or damaged after 6 years.

L.