If you’ve got an old computer or other electronics you’d like to get rid of, you might be surprised at how difficult it can be to find someone to take them off your hands.
If the item is in good working order, you may be able to sell it online or by putting it out at a garage sale, but typically these items aren’t popular. Most charitable organizations refuse to accept donations of electronic items like computers or monitors.
In many places, just putting them in the trash is actually illegal and even if it’s not against the rules, old electronics can present an environmental hazard.
Many towns or counties offer e-waste drop-off days from time-to-time, but if you live near a Best Buy store, there’s another option. Best Buy stores will allow you to drop off up to three items a day for recycling at no charge to you. (with some exceptions depending on state law)
Every Best Buy store has a recycling kiosk near the front door where you can drop off wires, cords, cables, and rechargeable batteries.
Larger items can be taken to the customer service counter. Here’s a list of what they’ll recycle for free
TV and Video:
- Battery backups (UPS)
- Cables and connectors
- DirecTV set-top boxes/converters
- DVD/Blu-ray players
- Headphones
- In-dash/overhead DVD
- Internet TV set-top boxes/satellite receivers
- Portable DVD
- Portable media players
- Power inverters
- Projectors
- Remotes/surge protectors
- TiVO
- TV antennas less than 3′ long
- VCRs- Wall mounts
Computers and Tablets:
- – All-in-one computers
- – Battery backups (UPS)
- – Cables and connectors
- – CD/DVD drives
- – Computer speakers/controllers
- – Desktops
- – Hard drives
- – Ink/toner cartridges
- – Laptop batteries
- – Laptops (limit of five per household per day)
- – Memory
- – Mice and keyboards
- – Modems/routers/hubs
- – Web cams
- – Netbooks
- – Printers/scanners/fax
- – Sound/video cards
- – Tablets
- – E-readers
Here are the items they will recycle for a fee:
TV and Video:
$25 fee per item
- Tube TVs smaller than 32″
- Flat-panel TVs: LCD, plasma, LED
smaller than 50″ - Portable TVs
Computers and Tablets:
$25 fee per item
- Monitors
There’s no fee to drop off a monitor in California. Stores in Connecticut and Pennsylvania do not accept monitors
They also accept other items like curling irons, vacuums, and more. Follow this link to learn about the rules for other products.