Disposal and Recycling Guidelines for Computers and Electronics

Computers, phones, monitors, printers, chargers, cables, batteries, and other electronic devices should not automatically go in household trash or curbside recycling. Many contain recoverable metals, plastics, glass, circuit boards, and other components that require specialized handling. Some older electronics may contain lead, mercury, cadmium, or other materials that should be managed through appropriate recycling or disposal programs.

Whenever possible, repair, donate, sell, trade in, or reuse working electronics before recycling them. If an item has reached the end of its useful life, use an electronics recycler, manufacturer take-back program, retailer program, or local e-waste collection service that confirms it accepts the item.

Common Electronics Accepted for Recycling

Computers and Accessories

Many electronics recyclers accept:

• Desktop computers and all-in-one computers

• Laptops and Chromebook devices

• LCD and LED computer monitors

• Keyboards, mice, trackpads, webcams, and microphones

• External hard drives, USB drives, and backup devices

• Internal hard drives, solid-state drives, RAM, processors, graphics cards, and other computer components

• Docking stations, chargers, power supplies, adapters, and cables

• Computer speakers and headphones

Older CRT monitors may require special handling, an appointment, or a recycling fee because they contain leaded glass. Confirm acceptance before transporting CRT equipment.

Networking and Peripheral Equipment

Many facilities accept:

• Modems and routers

• Wi-Fi extenders and mesh-network equipment

• Switches, hubs, and network adapters

• Servers, racks, and data-center equipment

• External hard drives and backup devices

• Cables, power cords, chargers, and adapters

• Uninterruptible power supplies, also called UPS units

• Surge protectors and battery backup systems

  
  

UPS units may contain sealed lead-acid batteries or lithium-ion batteries. Ask the recycler whether batteries must be removed and managed separately.

Office Equipment

Depending on the facility, accepted items may include:

• Printers

• Scanners

• Fax machines

• Copiers

• Label makers

• Shredders

• Calculators

• Projectors

• Office phones and conference phones

• Ink and toner cartridges through specialized recycling programs

Large copiers, commercial printers, and business quantities may require an appointment, pickup service, or fee. Some printers store documents, email addresses, network credentials, or other information, so erase data and reset the device before recycling when possible.

Mobile and Smart Devices

Many programs accept:

• Smartphones

• Tablets

• Smartwatches and fitness trackers

• E-readers

• GPS devices

• Digital cameras and camcorders

• Smart-home hubs

• Smart speakers

• Streaming devices

• Game consoles and handheld gaming devices

Before donating, selling, trading in, or recycling a smart device, remove it from linked accounts and complete the manufacturer’s factory-reset process.

Audio and Video Equipment

Many programs may accept:

• Speakers and Bluetooth speakers

• Headphones and earbuds

• Amplifiers, receivers, and stereo equipment

• Microphones

• Webcams

• DVD and Blu-ray players

• Streaming devices

• Digital media players

• Sound bars and home-theater components

  
  

Portable Bluetooth speakers, wireless headphones, earbuds, and other rechargeable devices often contain lithium-ion batteries. Do not place battery-powered devices in household trash or curbside recycling.

Batteries and Battery-Powered Devices

Some electronics recyclers accept batteries, but many require batteries to be separated from other electronics.

Potentially accepted items include:

• Laptop batteries

• Removable rechargeable lithium-ion batteries

• Rechargeable nickel-metal hydride and nickel-cadmium batteries

• Sealed lead-acid batteries from UPS units

• Battery-powered devices with built-in rechargeable batteries

Lithium-ion batteries can create a fire risk if crushed, punctured, or short-circuited. Do not place loose lithium-ion batteries in household trash or curbside recycling. EPA recommends taking used lithium-ion batteries and battery-containing devices to an electronics recycler or household hazardous-waste program.

For removable batteries, follow the preparation instructions provided by the receiving facility. Many collection programs ask consumers to cover exposed terminals with nonconductive tape or place each battery in a separate plastic bag to reduce the risk of short circuits.

Do not remove built-in batteries unless the manufacturer or recycler specifically instructs you to do so.

Reuse, Donation, and Trade-In

Before recycling, consider whether the item can continue to be used.

Possible options include:

• Donate working equipment to schools, libraries, nonprofits, shelters, community organizations, or refurbished-electronics programs.

• Sell or give away working electronics through local resale or neighborhood platforms.

• Trade in eligible devices through a manufacturer, retailer, wireless carrier, or electronics store.

• Repair a device if the issue is limited to a replaceable battery, charger, cable, keyboard, screen, fan, storage drive, or another serviceable component.

Do not donate or sell devices with exposed wires, swollen batteries, overheating parts, cracked battery cases, burning smells, damaged power cords, or other safety hazards.

Prepare Electronics Before Disposal or Recycling

Protect personal information

Before donating, selling, trading in, or recycling any device:

• Back up files, photos, contacts, and documents you want to keep.

• Sign out of email, cloud storage, streaming services, shopping accounts, social-media accounts, financial apps, and other services.

• Remove the device from Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, Amazon, or other manufacturer accounts.

• Turn off device-tracking and activation-lock features, such as Find My iPhone or Find My Device.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for erasing, resetting, or factory-resetting the device.

• Remove SIM cards, memory cards, USB drives, and other removable storage.

• Remove removable hard drives only if you know how to do so safely and the recycler permits it.

• For highly sensitive personal, school, medical, financial, or business information, ask whether the recycler provides documented data-destruction or hard-drive-shredding services.

EPA recommends removing personal information before donating or recycling electronics. 1699

Confirm acceptance before visiting

Before transporting an item, ask the recycler:

• Do you accept my specific item?

• Is there a fee, appointment, quantity limit, or minimum charge?

• Do you accept CRT monitors, televisions, printers, UPS units, or large equipment?

• Must removable batteries be taken out first?

• Do you accept electronics with built-in rechargeable batteries?

• Do you accept damaged or swollen batteries?

• Do you provide secure data destruction or a certificate of destruction?

• Do you accept equipment from businesses, schools, nonprofits, or government offices?

Items That May Require Separate Disposal

Many computer-recycling programs do not accept the following items, or they require separate handling.

Do not assume an item is accepted because it contains metal or plastic. Contact the facility and describe the item’s size, condition, and battery type before visiting.

Where to Take Electronics

Possible disposal and recycling options include:

• City or county e-waste collection programs

• Household hazardous-waste facilities and collection events

• Certified electronics recyclers

• Manufacturer trade-in, repair, mail-back, and take-back programs

• Retailer recycling programs

• Local repair shops and refurbished-electronics organizations

• Schools, charities, nonprofits, and community organizations that accept working equipment

• Computer repair shops or IT asset-disposition providers for business equipment

When possible, look for electronics recyclers certified under R2 or e-Stewards standards. EPA recognizes these independent certification programs as tools that support responsible electronics recycling and management.

Examples of manufacturer programs may include Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung, and other brands. Accepted products, shipping options, trade-in values, and program rules vary. Confirm current requirements on the manufacturer’s official website before sending or dropping off any device.

What Not to Do

• Do not place computers, monitors, phones, printers, chargers, batteries, or other electronics in curbside recycling unless your local program specifically accepts them.

• Do not put lithium-ion batteries in household trash or curbside recycling.

• Do not dismantle electronics or remove built-in batteries unless you are qualified and specifically instructed to do so by the manufacturer or receiving facility.

• Do not donate equipment with swollen batteries, exposed wiring, overheating parts, damaged power cords, or other safety hazards.

• Do not discard devices that still contain personal information, account credentials, photographs, financial records, or business data.

• Do not assume a recycler will accept an item without confirming first.

  
  

Quick Checklist

• Repair, donate, sell, trade in, or reuse safe working electronics when possible.

• Back up needed files, sign out of accounts, remove storage media, and reset devices according to manufacturer instructions.

• Use an e-waste recycler that confirms it accepts your item.

• Ask about fees, appointments, quantity limits, data-destruction services, and battery requirements.

• Remove batteries only when instructed.

• Keep lithium-ion batteries out of household trash and curbside recycling.

• Consider using an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler when available.

• Verify current acceptance requirements before traveling to a recycling facility.

  
  

Safety and Legal Notice

Connecting The Dots Project provides this guide for general educational and informational purposes only. It is not legal, technical, safety, environmental, recycling, waste-management, data-security, or emergency-response advice. Disposal rules, accepted items, fees, preparation requirements, transportation rules, and recycling laws vary by location, product type, manufacturer, recycler, item condition, and applicable regulations.

Before donating, selling, transporting, recycling, or disposing of an item, consult the product manufacturer, your local government or solid-waste authority, and the receiving facility for current instructions. Follow all applicable laws, manufacturer guidance, facility requirements, and safety warnings.

Do not dismantle electronics, open devices, remove built-in batteries, or handle swollen, leaking, damaged, burned, or overheating batteries unless you are trained, authorized, and specifically instructed to do so by the manufacturer, emergency personnel, or the receiving facility. For removable batteries, follow the preparation instructions provided by the receiving facility.

If an electronic device or battery is smoking, on fire, emitting sparks, becoming unusually hot, or creating an immediate danger, move people away from the area and call 911 or your local emergency number. Do not attempt to open, puncture, move, or extinguish the device or battery unless directed by emergency responders.

Mention of any company, brand, retailer, recycler, certification, or program is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an endorsement, affiliation, recommendation, or guarantee of acceptance, service quality, data security, or environmental performance.

Connecting The Dots Project does not guarantee that this information is complete, current, accurate, or suitable for every item or situation. Use of this guide is at the reader’s own risk.