Where can you recycle your old computer, laptop and printer for free in 2025

If you have a growing graveyard of old printers and… Laptops In your closet, you are not alone. Modern CNET poll It found that nearly a third of us hoard old electronics, perhaps because figuring out how to get rid of them seems like a huge pain.

But here’s the deal: you can’t throw it in the trash. It’s terrible for the environment, and in some places, it’s actually illegal. The good news is that recycling your electronic waste is very easy, and you don’t even need to find a special recycling center.

Seriously, just take it to Best Buy or Staples. They will take your old laptops, printers, and other unwanted tech stuff off your hands for free. Some places will give you a gift card for your troubles. It’s the easiest way to finally clear out that cupboard and do the bare minimum for the planet.

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Eliminating used technology not only frees up space in your home, but also keeps harmful components out of landfills. So, if you’re holding on to equipment you haven’t used in years, now’s the time to let it go the right way.

Here’s what you need to know Recycling Your old technology. For more, learn how to recycle your device Old phones.

What you should do before recycling your old computer

Wherever you take or send your items for recycling, they’ll need protection Your data By removing it as best you can. One way to do this is to perform a factory reset on your computer. our Guide walks you through this process.

Where can you recycle old printers and computers?

Some retail stores accept recycling of computers and printers, but it is not always a free service. Policies vary by company.

apple

You can recycle old Apple computers, Observers And peripherals, like printers, are free in the Apple Store, but there’s a costly catch. According to Apple Free Recycling programYou must purchase an eligible Apple device Computer Or monitor to receive this service. Need another option? An outside company called Gazelle buys vintage items MacBooks To be recycled. After accepting Gazelle’s offer, you print a prepaid label or order a prepaid box and ship the device to them.

Read more: Phone and laptop repair has become mainstream with payment from iFixit

Best buy

Best Buy generally accepts up to three household items per store family daily to be recycled for free, including desktop computers and printers, as well as other items ranging from E-readers to Vacuum cleaners. While the limit for most items is three, there is an upper limit for laptops — Best Buy will take five of them per household per day. Note that rules for delivery of monitoring devices vary by state, and it is not always possible to do so for free. Best Buy also offers email service Recycling service For specific items, but this is also not free. A small box that holds up to 6 pounds costs $23, while a large box (up to 15 pounds) costs $30. A CNET editor recently pulled out an old set of TV-VCR tubes for e-cycling, and was happy to pay $30 to get rid of them.

Office warehouse

Office Depot and OfficeMax merged in 2013. The retailers offer technology trade-ins program Either in-store or online where you can get a store gift card for old computers and printers. If the device has no trade-in value, the company will recycle it for free. Office Depot also sells e-waste recycling bins that you can fill with electronics to recycle and then drop off at stores, but they’re not free. Small boxes Cost $8.39 Holds up to 20 pounds of average weight Cost $18.29 Holds up to 40 lbs and large boxes Cost $28 And holds up to 60 pounds.

Basic foodstuffs

You can bring old desktops, laptops, printers and more to the Staples checkout counter for free recycling, even if they weren’t purchased there. According to a Staples representative, the retailer also has a free at-home battery recycling bin, which has led customers to recycle thousands of batteries weekly, compared to the previous average of 50 batteries per week. Here’s a list of Everything That can be recycled at Staples.

Read more: How to factory reset your MacBook, Windows Laptop, or Chromebook

Where to find electronics recycling centers

If you don’t live near a major retailer or prefer to take your computers and printers to a recycling center, you can locate places near you using search tools provided by Earth911 and the Consumer Technology Association.

Earth911

Use a recycling center Search function On Earth911 to find recycling centers near your zip code that accept laptops, desktops, and printers. Note that results may also show places that accept this Mobile phones Not computers or printers, so you may have to do a little filtering.

Green tools

Consult the Consumer Technology Association’s Green Tools Recycling selector To find local recycling centers in your area that will take your old items. The search function also allows you to filter results to search separately for places that use computers versus printers.