Which Stores Recycle Electronics for Free
Wondering how to dispose of old electronics for free? Be sure to also check out our tips for How to Recycle old TVs!
| ITEM | Best Buy | Staples | OfficeMax & Office Depot | Thrift Donation |
| Alarm clocks | X | X | ||
| All-in-one computers | X | X | $fee | X |
| Amps / amplifier stereo equipment | X | X | ||
| Amps and effects | X | X | ||
| Audio mixers/DJ turntables | X | X | ||
| Audio wiring harnesses and install kits | X | X | X | |
| Battery backups (UPS) | X | X | X | |
| Binoculars | X | X | ||
| Blu-ray players | X | X | X | |
| Boom boxes | X | X | ||
| Brooms/stick vacuums | X | X | ||
| Cable / Satellite Receivers | X | X | X | |
| Cables, connectors, adapters | X | X | $fee | X |
| Calculators | X | X | X | |
| Camcorders | X | X | $fee | X |
| Camera – digital or SLR | X | X | $fee | X |
| Cassette players | X | X | ||
| CB radios | X | X | ||
| CD drives | X | X | X | |
| CD players/recorders | X | X | X | |
| Cell phones | X | X | X | X |
| Chargers | X | $fee | X | |
| Coffee Brewers (less than 40 lbs) | X | X | ||
| Computer | X | X | $fee | X |
| Computer speakers | X | X | X | |
| Connected Home Devices | X | X | X | |
| Controllers | X | X | ||
| Copiers | X | X | ||
| Cordless phones | X | X | $fee | X |
| Curling irons | X | X | ||
| Decks – audio | X | X | ||
| Desktop computers | X | X | $fee | X |
| Digital cameras | X | X | $fee | X |
| Digital photo frames | X | X | ||
| DirecTV set-top boxes | X | X | X | |
| DVD – Portable | X | X | $fee | X |
| DVD drives | X | X | $fee | X |
| DVD In-dash/overhead | X | X | $fee | X |
| DVD players | X | X | $fee | X |
| E-readers | X | X | X | |
| Fans | X | X | ||
| Fax Machine (facsimile) | X | X | $fee | X |
| Flash Drives | X | X | ||
| Gaming consoles / handhelds | X | X | ||
| GPS | X | X | X | |
| Hair dryers | X | X | ||
| Hair straighteners | X | X | ||
| Hands-free headsets | X | X | ||
| Hard drives | X | X | X | |
| Headphones | X | X | ||
| Heart monitors | X | X | ||
| Home audio networking | X | X | X | |
| Home recording interfaces | X | X | ||
| Home Theater systems (HTIB ) | X | X | X | |
| Hubs (computer networking) | X | X | X | |
| In-dash GPS | X | X | X | |
| Internet TV set-top boxes | X | X | X | |
| iPods | X | X | X | |
| Keyboards and mice | X | X | $fee | X |
| Landline telephone | X | X | $fee | X |
| Laptop batteries | X | *see above | X | |
| Laptop computers | X | X | $fee | X |
| Lenses | X | X | ||
| Media players – Portable | X | X | X | |
| Memory cards | X | X | ||
| Mice and keyboards | X | X | X | |
| Mobile phones | X | X | X | X |
| Modems | X | X | X | |
| Monitoring systems | X | X | ||
| Monitors (including CRT, LED, LCD, plasma) | X | $fee | ||
| MP3 player | X | X | $fee | X |
| MP3 speakers | X | X | ||
| Netbook computers | X | X | $fee | X |
| Outdoor GPS | X | X | X | |
| Pedometers | X | X | ||
| Personal recorders | X | X | ||
| Portable gaming | X | X | X | |
| Portable GPS | X | X | X | |
| Portable LCD screens | X | X | $fee | X |
| Power inverters | X | X | ||
| Printer / multifunction devices | X | X | $fee | |
| Printer Ink cartridges | X | ** see above | X | |
| Printer Toner cartridges | X | ** see above | X | |
| Projectors | X | X | X | |
| Radar detectors | X | X | ||
| Radio scanners | X | X | ||
| Receivers | X | X | X | |
| Recorders | X | X | ||
| Remotes | X | X | ||
| Robot vacuums | X | X | ||
| Routers & Wifi routers | X | X | X | |
| Satellite radio | X | X | ||
| Satellite receivers | X | X | ||
| Scanner | X | X | $fee | X |
| Security systems | X | X | ||
| Servers (small) | X | $fee | X | |
| Shredders | X | X | X | |
| SLR cameras | X | $fee | X | |
| Sound cards | X | X | ||
| Soundbars | X | X | ||
| Speaker systems | X | X | ||
| Speakers (car / small) | X | X | X | |
| Surge protectors | X | X | ||
| Tablets | X | X | X | |
| Televisions – flat panel TVs: LCD, plasma, LED, smaller than 50” | $25 fee | |||
| TiVO | X | X | X | |
| Tube TVs less than 32” | $25 fee | $fee | X | |
| Turntables | X | X | ||
| TV antennas less than 3′ long | X | X | ||
| TV converter boxes | X | X | X | |
| TVs – portable TVs | $25 fee | |||
| Two-way radios | X | X | ||
| Vacuums – Stick, Upright, Canister | X | X | ||
| VCRs | X | X | $fee | X |
| Video cameras | X | X | $fee | X |
| Video cards | X | |||
| Video game consoles | X | X | X | |
| Wall mounts (for TVs, etc) | X | X | ||
| Weather stations | X | X | ||
| Web cams | X | X | X | |
| Wireless broadband | X | X | X |
Note that several items, such as laptops, tablets and smartphones, are eligible for the technology trade-in program.
Best Buy: There are no store drop-off fees in California. Stores in Connecticut and Pennsylvania do not accept TVs for drop-off.
Limit three items per household per day. Recycling is intended for residents only. Products from businesses and organizations, or items that present a health or safety hazard are not accepted.
In addition to this list which is recycled completely free, Best Buy also accepts other items for a fee. These include monitors, tube TVs (smaller than 32″), flat-panel TVs LCD, plasma, LED smaller than 50″ and portable TVs for a $25 charge.
Staples: Limit of seven items can be recycled per customer per day. Store management has the right to refuse to accept items that may pose a health or safety risk.
* Rechargeable batteries are accepted in Staples stores. They are handled through the Call2Recycle program.
**Staples Ink Recycling Rewards gives $2 per ink recycled ink cartridge (up to 20 per month).