How To Dispose of Electronics

If you have heaps of broken and outdated computers, monitors, micro-wave ovens and vacuum cleaners because you don’t know what to do with them, read on. Here are some tips for safely disposing of electronics.

Determine whether the appliance still works or if you’re getting rid of a device that still operates but doesn’t suit your needs or the style of a remodeled room, for instance. If it still works, you might try selling it at a yard sale, online auction site or on social media, or try donating it to a local church or charity that can give it to someone who can’t afford to buy one. Many communities now have Buy Nothing Facebook pages where your old items may find a new home.

Contact the manufacturer of the item or the store where you bought it and ask about a trade-in program. Some retailers offer a discount on new computers, cellphones, speakers and tablets if you trade in your old one.

Check your community’s waste collection or recycling department to see if they will pick them up or if there’s a place to drop them off. Many communities have recycling centers that will accept used electronics.

Keep an eye out for a community cleanup day that may give you the opportunity to dispose of electronics and bulk trash items.

Find a household hazardous waste facility that will pick up your items or accept them at a drop-off.
What not to do with unwanted electronics:

Don’t throw them in the trash with your other household waste.

Don’t send thermometers or other electronics containing lead or mercury to the landfill.

Avoid trashing perfectly good items just because you have upgraded to newer ones. Local charities and even some of your neighbors will take them off your hands—and get plenty of use out of them.