Yes, You Can Donate Your Old Breast Pump

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Have you ever wondered what do to with a used breast pump? Can you donate a breast pump?

Are your breastfeeding days over?

Have you stopped pumping?

If so, that probably means you have an old one tucked in the back of a closet somewhere in your home. It’s taking up space, but for so long it was so useful to you. So, you just leave it there. Collecting cobwebs and reminding you of that gentle “swoosh, whoosh” it made while filling bottles with your breast milk. Maybe you’re keeping your old breast pump for a someday baby down the road or perhaps you plan to pass it on to a friend. Maybe you’ve had a hard time breaking ties with that piece of equipment that was part of your daily life, the key to your baby’s sustenance.

Whatever your reason, I’m going to prod you today to pull your old pump out of that closet and send it on its way via the Medela Recycles program. That is where to donate a breast pump. The Medela Recycle program is free and complies with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s innovative Waste Wise program. So, what are you waiting for? Almost 12,000 pumps have been donated to date with this Medela breast pump recycle program, so help out Mother Earth and push that number even higher!

Review the details of the program here to make sure your specific pump complies with the program’s specifications. This program is for Medela electric pumps only and Medela covers the shipping! Then, fill out the information here and print your shipping label. I don’t think it could be much easier!

Here are a few FAQs about Medela Recycles:

Should I send back my pump carry bag?

Pump in Style Advanced Backpack, On-the-go Tote, WIC and insurance breast pumps contain motors that are not intended to be removed from their bag. Please ship back the entire motor/bag configuration.

Pump in Style Advanced Metro, Freestyle & Swing pumps include carry bags that are separate from the breast pump motor.  These bags do NOT need to be returned. 

What components of my breast pump should I ship?

Please send back your pump motor unit and power cord. All other pump kit components (connectors, breast shields, tubing, bottles, valves, membranes, and cooling elements) can be disposed of in your waste management recycling container at your home.

Cooler bags and other soft-good items are not recyclable.

What does Medela do with the returned products?

Medela will send all eligible pumps to a third-party processing center where they will be broken down and all recyclable parts will be recycled appropriately. Medela does not reuse donated parts for recycling for any manufacturing purposes.

What if I want to return more than one breast pump?

If you are returning more than one breast pump, please complete the recycle process for each product. This ensures you have a unique return label and return barcode for each pump. You can box them separately or together as long as all the unique return labels are included.

What types of pumps are eligible for this program?

Only Medela electric, personal use breast pumps are eligible for the Medela Recycles program. Manual breast pumps, such as the Medela Harmony breast pump, cannot be returned through this program. This product can be recycled in your waste management recycling container at home.

If you don’t have a pump to recycle feel free to help spread the world about this great program … it’s as easy as a simply retweet! You can do that here! And, if you have a pump, but it’s not a Medela one, take a quick minute to send your manufacturer an email and ask about their recycling process.