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What to do with an Old Breast Pump

August 15, 2015 12 Comments

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(This is NOT a sponsored post – it’s just about a pump that I love.  If you have any information about returning non-Medela pumps, please let me know and I’ll add the info to this post! )

When Red was an infant, I picked up a Medela swing breast pump. It was a simple, one horned unit, in case I needed it for supplementing or getting a stash started.  But it ended up mostly unused. I quickly discovered I needed a bigger unit to do anything more than relieve pressure, and Red having had fetal distress and a complicated birth left our breastfeeding journey less than desirable.

Fast forward to this summer to Scarlett’s birth.  I finally obtained a double electric pump that has been the bomb.com and a visit to the lactation consultant has helped me develop a better set of breastfeeding skills to (hopefully) breastfeed longer than I did the first round.  But what do I do with my old breast pump? I know you can’t share the parts that contact your milk/breast… and thrift stores, of course, won’t take them, so I took to the mighty interwebs for more answers.

What to do with an old Medela Breast PumpDid you know that you can RECYCLE your breast pump?? Medela has a program to return old Medela electric pumps (no manual pumps or other brands), clean and refurbish them to give to mothers in need at the Ronald McDonald House.  I thought that was very cool.  Most of the mothers in he NICU are given these pumps to help with their premature babies.  I haven’t found other programs for Lansinoh, Nuk or other pump brands (if you know of some, please let me know… I’ll add them to this resource!)

Here’s how to recycle your old breast pump: visit http://www.medelabreastfeedingus.com/medela-recycles/start and print your shipping label. It’s FREE. Medela pays the shipping!

label

Then, grab yourself an old Amazon box (because we have TONS of those saved up!!) and pack just your pump and power cord in the box.  They ask you not to send any carrying bags, coolers, breast shields, connectors or tubing (that makes the packing box very small and none of those parts you want to share, anyway!  Our local recycling centers take those types of plastic, so I was set to dump them in our recycling bin. Check with your local trash company!  Then, adhere the label to the box, tape it up and drop it off in the mail!

recycle old breast pump parts

shipping a breast pump back to medela

Once my old breast pump was received, Medela sent me an email notification so I knew it arrived safely. Now I can concentrate on breastfeeding and pumping with my schmancy new double pump and know that not only am I freeing up space in the baby closet, I’m also helping another mother in need, which is awesome!

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Filed Under: baby, Parenting

Comments

  1. Debbie L. says

    August 15, 2015 at 4:39 pm

    I think this is really a good program. Buying a breast pump for some Mom’s is HUGE! This is a great way to reuse.

    Reply
  2. Debbie Denny says

    August 16, 2015 at 12:32 pm

    Great way to recycle. Glad they are doing this.

    Reply
  3. Kate K (My Mommy Brain) says

    August 16, 2015 at 12:33 pm

    What a great program! I wish I had known about this before, I would have donated my pump.

    Reply
  4. aimee fauci says

    August 16, 2015 at 5:59 pm

    What a great thing. Breast Pumps are SO expensive so this is a great program that they are doing.

    Reply
  5. melisasource says

    August 16, 2015 at 6:03 pm

    Thank you so much for this. My stepdaughter is breastfeeding right now and this will come in handy when she’s ready to do away with her breast pump down the line!

    Reply
  6. Shell says

    August 16, 2015 at 6:46 pm

    That’s so great! I passed mine along to my cousin.

    Reply
  7. Catherine S says

    August 16, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    This is such a wonderful program. I never knew you could recycle them.

    Reply
    • Redhead Baby Mama says

      August 23, 2015 at 3:48 pm

      me neither. Total accident that I found the program!

      Reply
  8. Kristi says

    August 16, 2015 at 10:36 pm

    What a great idea. I love to see programs that keep things out of the landfills and help people out at the same time. A win-win.

    Reply
  9. Krystal says

    August 17, 2015 at 7:25 pm

    I never knew recycling was an option! I had a MEdela pump and ended up selling it a consignment store.

    Reply
  10. Fariha N. says

    August 17, 2015 at 11:38 pm

    I had no idea that you could recycle an old breast pump. This is such a wonderful thing that can help moms that need it. For a minute I expected some unique DIY project to make with the breast pump, hahaha!

    Reply
  11. Shanna says

    August 24, 2015 at 8:23 am

    Lindsey, I just shared this on my blog as one of my favorite links from the past week! Thanks for the useful info. I hope lots of moms are blessed by this.

    Reply

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Hey y'all! I'm Lindsey, a southern girl residing in Atlanta. Welcome to my little corner where I share my anecdotes, crafts, recipes, & dose of Disney as I raise my 2 kids! Thanks for following along... I'm so glad you're here! Read More…

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