Meijer revives baby gear recycling event with coupon incentive

The hard part of baby-shower gear starts after the wrapping paper is gone. Car seats, strollers and travel systems do not disappear when a child outgrows them, and Meijer is betting that a coupon will get families to clear them out.

The Midwest retailer said April 29 that its Baby Gear Recycling Event will return from May 6 through May 19 at participating supercenters. Customers can bring in used, expired or damaged baby gear, including car seats, booster seats, strollers and travel systems, and receive a redeemable coupon or mPerks code in exchange.

The program is now in its third consecutive year. Meijer said more than 30 tons of baby gear have been recycled since the event launched in 2024, and Don Sanderson, Meijer’s chief merchandising and marketing officer, said the company saw a 33% increase in gear brought in last year compared with 2024. Meijer’s 2025 spring event ran May 4 through May 17 and collected more than 13 tons, or 26,000 pounds, of baby gear. The retailer first launched the drive in the fall of 2024, when it ran from Oct. 27 through Nov. 9 at all supercenter locations.

Meijer, which is privately owned and family-operated, is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company says it serves customers at more than 500 supercenters, grocery stores, neighborhood markets and express locations across Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Wisconsin, with more than 70,000 team members. That scale gives the recycling program a reach that fits the clutter problem it is trying to solve: bulky gear that is expensive to buy, hard to store and awkward to dispose of responsibly.

The safety angle is just as important as the cleanup. NHTSA says parents should follow manufacturer instructions and replace car seats after moderate or severe crashes. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises using car seats that match a child’s size and moving to booster seats when appropriate, and Consumer Reports notes that many car seats have expiration dates, often six years or more from manufacture. For baby-shower registries, that makes Meijer’s event more than a seasonal promotion. It is a practical reminder to think through the full life cycle of the gift, from the nursery floor to the day it leaves the house for good.