Target Recycling: What You Can and Cannot Recycle in the Store
When you hear the phrase Target recycling, you may think about buying recycling bins and other supplies at Target. And you would be rightโsort of.ย
I mean, of course Target sells recycling bins and things made from recycled materials. However, what Iโm referring to here is the recycling that you can do for free at Target stores.
Didnโt know you could take things to Target to be recycled? Prepare to be amazed at the many things that you can, in fact, dispose of here and do it in an eco-friendly and responsible way

What can you recycle at Target
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The first time I realized that you could recycle something for free at Target was when I learned about the car seat trade-in event at Target. It happens each May.
In return for recycling an old car seat, Target gives you a coupon to save money on a new car seat or other baby supplies.
As I wrote about in this article about the Target car seat trade-in event, youโll get a 20% off coupon in the Target Circle app for recycling a car seat.
Then, you can use that discount coupon to buy a single new car seat, stroller or other baby gear.
You can drop off your used car seat during this event at the boxes youโll usually find at the front of the store near Guest Services.
Find out about setting up a Target baby registry.
How does Target recycle car seats
According to thisย Target FAQ, here is what happens with old car seats that are brought to Target:
โMaterials from the old car seats will be recycled by Targetโs partners to create new products such as pallets, plastic buckets and construction materials such as steel beams and carpet padding.โ
Target.com
Since starting this car seat recycling program in 2016, Target says it has recycled more than 2 million car seats.
Also, the program has helped to recycle nearly 33 million pounds of car seat materials.
Target partners withย Terracycle, which sellsย Zero Waste Boxesย that you can use at your home or office to recycle items that might not qualify for curbside recycling.
Car seats are hardly the only thing that Target is recycling for its customers. Iโve outlined everything that Iโve personally recycled at my local store. Plus, Iโve researched and fact checked what the store will recycle for you.
Finally, Iโve included details on exactly how you can take advantage of the free recycling services at Target.
Target plastic bag recycling
Targetโs in-store recycling kiosk includes a place for you to recycle plastic bags. And you donโt just have to recycle bags from Target there.
No one is stopping you from bringing any plastic, single-use bags to the store to be recycled.
Many other retailers offer plastic bag recycling. Iโve seen (and used) bins at:
- Kohlโs
- Nordstrom Rack
- Grocery stores
- Loweโs

Finally, if you bring your own bag to Target, youโll get a five-cent discount for each bag you use. This works at self checkout as well as at regular checkout lanes.ย
However, itโs not clear if this discount still applies in states where single-use bags are banned. There, if you donโt bring your own bag, you pay 10 cents for each bag that Target provides.
This is what the reusable bags look like (and cost 10 cents) when I would get with my Target Drive Up orders in Maine.
Bottle and can recycling
Just like your curbside service, Target will recycle bottles and cans for you. This includes aluminum, plastic and glass, such as soda cans or water bottles.
Even better, if you live in a state with a bottle deposit bill, take those containers to a redemption center to get your money back. This article explains how the Clynk system works at Hannaford supermarkets in Maine and New York.
Printer cartridge recycling at Target
In addition to recycling printer cartridges, Target can take your small electronics. They describe these as MP3 players and GPS devices, which seems a bit outdated, doesnโt it? I mean, donโt we all just use our phones to navigate and to listen to music?
Also, if youโre a Staples customer, you can get cash money, in the form of rewards certificates, by taking your printer cartridges there to be recycled. Iโve earned anywhere from $2 to $5 per cartridge I recycled at Staples, depending on special or promotions the store may be having.
Target electronics recycling
Speaking of small electronics, youโll do better taking advantage of the Target Tech Trade In program. It isnโt available at every Target store, though.
When it is, though, you have to visit the electronics department at Target and find out if theyโll take an electronics trade in person. You can also start the process online.
Like other device trade in programs, youโll need to answer a few questions about your device, including what its condition is. Then, youโll get a prepaid label to ship it to Targetโs trade-in partner.
Once they determine the value, youโll get a Target electronic gift card for the amount that they offer you for your old device. Of course the downside is once youโve mailed it in, itโs gone. Itโs not like you can shop around for a better offer.
On the other hand, this is how Gazelle works as well as the Amazon Trade-In Program.
Amazon will take back your old devices and give you an Amazon gift card for what they determine is the value of that device. Also, youโll get 25% off a new device in certain situations.
What you cannot recycle at Target
I was surprised to learn that you cannot recycle plastic hangers at Target. In fact, you canโt recycle plastic store hangers at all.
Thatโs because hangers are made from many different kinds of plastic that are incompatible in a recycling environment.
So, whatโs a better way to dispose of plastic hangers if you canโt recycle them? Well, of course, you can throw them out but thatโs really a last resort.
One, you can reuse them in your laundry room to hang up items you want to air dry.
Two, see if you can donate them to Goodwill or a local thrift store.ย
Three, give them away on a local Buy Nothing Group.
Also, it appears that Target no longer recycles batteries.
Where to find Target recycling bins in store
Most often youโll find Targetโs guest recycling center at the front of your local store. Their location has varied based on different stores Iโve visited.ย
Sometimes Iโve seen them along the wall between the menโs and womenโs restrooms or outside the family restroom.
In other stores this recycling center is near guest services, as were the car seat recycling collection boxes that I photographed at the Target store in South Portland, Maine.
Finally, at some Target stores outside Pittsburgh, these recycling bins were in the vestibule on the way out of the store.ย
When in doubt, stop at guest services and ask where you can drop off your recyclables. Iโve always found the staff at Target to be helpful and friendly.ย