Electronics Stewardship & Landfill Bans
Electronics (E-Waste) Recycling & Disposal Guide
Old flat-screen televisions, monitors, laptops, and desktop towers contain hazardous heavy metals that are banned from landfills across 25 states. Here is how to wipe your data and recycle electronics for free.
Over 25 US states have enacted strict statutes prohibiting televisions, computer towers, laptops, monitors, and printers from entering municipal landfills. Leaving electronics at the curb results in non-collection tags or fines.
Older tube TVs contain up to 8 pounds of lead in the funnel glass. Flat panels, circuit boards, and monitors contain cadmium, mercury vapor lamps, and brominated flame retardants that leach into groundwater if buried in landfills.
Before disposing of laptops, tablets, or smart TVs, perform a factory hardware reset or physically remove the hard drive or SSD. Do not rely on simple file deletion when recycling computers.
Retail chains like Best Buy and Staples accept computers, tablets, cords, and small electronics for free recycling regardless of where the device was purchased, keeping tons of e-waste out of public landfills.
Best Buy: Accepts up to three electronic items per household per day (computers, tablets, cords, and audio equipment) free of charge at customer service counters.
Staples: Accepts office electronics, desktop computers, printers, and ink cartridges with rewards incentives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you put an old flat-screen TV in regular curbside trash?▼
In most states, no. Electronics are banned from residential curbside collection due to toxic heavy metals and valuable recyclable circuit components.
Where can I recycle old computers and cables for free?▼
Best Buy and Staples take computers, keyboards, monitors, and charging cords for free recycling year-round. Many city public works yards also offer monthly resident e-waste drop-offs.
How do you erase personal data before recycling an old laptop?▼
Back up needed personal files to an external drive or cloud service, then perform a complete operating system factory reset with drive wipe enabled, or physically remove and destroy the hard drive.
Why do CRT glass tube TVs cost money to recycle?▼
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) glass contains high concentrations of hazardous lead that requires specialized high-temperature lead smelting facilities to process safely.