Electronics Disposal
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert
  • The e-waste appointment collection program has been suspended.

You can’t dispose of electronics such as TVs and computers with your regular trash or recycling. Some electronics contain hazardous materials, including lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.

Instead, you can:

  • Bring them to a drop-off site
  • Return them to the manufacturer
  • Enroll in the ecycleNYC recycling program for apartment buildings with 10 or more units

Tenants must appropriately discard their electronics. It is not the landlord's responsibility to take or mail back items for reuse or recycling.

Learn about electronics disposal options.

You can no longer dispose of the items listed below in the regular trash. They must be discarded through the manufacturer, a recycling location, or one of the special recycling programs.

  • TVs
  • Monitors
  • Computers
  • Laptops
  • Small servers
  • Printers/scanners
  • Tablets/e-readers
  • MP3 Players
  • VCRs/DVDs/DVR players
  • Fax machines
  • Video game consoles
  • Cable/satellite boxes
  • Computer Mice
  • Keyboards

You can find an electronics drop-off location near you.

View a map of electronics drop-off locations.

You can also contact the following organizations to drop off, recycle, or donate your electronics:

  • Agency: Best Buy
  • Phone Number: (888) 237-8289
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • $29.99 Fee
  • Accepted: Tube TVs smaller than 32 inches, flat panel TVs (LCD, plasma, LED) smaller than 50 inches, and portable TVs
  • Not Accepted: Large TVs
  • Two TV limit per household per day

  • Agency: Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey
  • Phone Number: (718) 728-5400
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Accepted: Working flat screen TVs and monitors, DVD players, and game systems
  • Not Accepted: TVs or monitors with cathode ray tubes or any other e-waste

  • Agency: Salvation Army
  • Phone Number: (800) 728-7825
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Accepted for donation: Working electronics
  • Accepted for recycling: Non-working electronics

  • Agency: Staples
  • Phone Number: (800) 333-3330
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM

  • Not Accepted: TVs

Apartment buildings with 10 or more units can participate in ecycleNYC, which provides a free and convenient in-building service to remove and recycle unwanted electronics.

The types of electronics accepted include:

  • TVs
  • Computers/desktop towers, laptops
  • Monitors
  • Fax machines, printers/scanners
  • Small servers
  • Cable/satellite boxes
  • Hard drives
  • Keyboards
  • Mice
  • Mobile phones
  • MP3 players
  • Tablets
  • VCR/DVR/DVD players
  • Video game consoles

Household appliances, batteries, and light bulbs are NOT accepted.

Service options include:

  • Room clean-outs for buildings with 10 or more units
  • Storage bins for buildings with 100 or more units
  • Building events for buildings with 250 or more units

Buildings, management companies, or residents who want to apply for ecycleNYC should complete an online form.

Learn more about ecycleNYC.

Enroll your building to receive an ecycleNYC collection bin.

Pick-Up Requests

If your building is enrolled in ecycleNYC, a building manager or staff member can request pickup of unwanted electronics. Pickup is guaranteed within 5 business days.

Call 311 for assistance.

You can return unwanted electronics to manufacturers for recycling or disposal. Manufacturers (for example, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, etc.) are required to accept electronics from residents for recycling at no cost.

You can find information about recycling electronics at the store where you purchased the item or at any store that sells the item. You can also check your brand's website to find out their recycling options.

Cell phones can be dropped off at any store that sells service plans.

Complaints

You can report a:

  • Electronics manufacturer that does not accept their products for recycling
  • Store that sells electronics but does not have information about electronics recycling

  • Agency: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Division: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Tip Line
  • Phone Number: (800) 847-7332
  • Business Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

Electronics cannot go in regular recycling or trash. Schools must follow specific guidelines for disposal.

For more information on electronics disposal for NYC Department of Education schools, you can email your question to WasteSupport@schools.nyc.gov.

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