Boston residents have two free city routes for electronics: a curbside Special Collection appointment through 311 for TVs, computer monitors and laptops (up to 10 items a year, 5 per appointment), and the Zero Waste Day drop-off events, the next of which is Saturday 26 September 2026 at the Central DPW facility on Frontage Road, where Good Point Recycling takes anything with a cord. Massachusetts has banned cathode ray tubes from the trash since 1 April 2000, so a tube TV or old monitor cannot go out with regular rubbish. Best Buy and Staples take small items free any day. Every address, date and rule below was checked against the source on 25 August 2026.
Curbside Special Collection: TVs, monitors and laptops by appointment
Massachusetts state law prohibits throwing items containing cathode ray tubes in the trash, and the City of Boston provides special collection for them. The city's list of items that need a special collection appointment includes televisions, computer monitors and laptops, alongside fridges, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers.
| Rule | Detail |
|---|
| How to book | Call 311 (617-635-4500) or use the "Schedule a Special Item Pickup" form on boston.gov; the city collects nothing without an appointment |
| Limits | 10 special items per calendar year, up to 5 per appointment; beyond that you need a private hauler |
| Placement | Where your trash normally goes (curbside, public alley or dumpster area) by 6 am on the appointment day or after 5 pm the night before; must be in a publicly accessible spot, not on private property, not blocked by vehicles, nothing stacked on top |
| Condition | Items must be intact, not smashed; TVs and computers must be freestanding and not inside a box; wipe data from a computer before it goes to the curb |
| Cancelling | Before 12 pm the day before, via the link in the confirmation email or 311 |
| Not collected | Commercial-grade items; items outside the special list (furniture goes out as regular curbside trash) |
Zero Waste Days: free drop-off for anything with a cord
The Public Works Department runs Zero Waste Day drop-offs for Boston residents with a photo ID, utility bill or lease as proof of residency; no business waste.
| Next event | Where | Hours |
|---|
| Saturday 26 September 2026 | Central DPW Facility, 400 Frontage Road, Roxbury, MA 02118 | 8:30 am to 12 pm |
Electronics at these events are handled by Good Point Recycling, whose accepted list covers TVs of every type (CRT, LED, plasma, LCD), computers and laptops, monitors, cell phones and tablets, keyboards and mice, printers and copiers, servers, routers and switches, microwaves, VCR and DVD players, cameras, power supplies, UPS units, wire and cable, and "anything with a cord, or cordless". Fridges and other liquid-bearing items are not taken at drop-off events. The same events take hazardous chemicals (20 gallon limit, containers under 5 gallons), lithium and NiCd batteries, and mercury items such as fluorescent bulbs and thermostats. The city also runs Zero Waste Pop-Ups for two or more material types; the schedule is on the Zero Waste Days page and the Boston Zero Waste Directory lists year-round options by material.
Retail drop-off in Boston: Best Buy, Staples, Home Depot
| Store | Takes | Cost | Limits |
|---|
| Best Buy | Flat-panel TVs and monitors up to 50 inches, laptops, desktops, phones, cables, hard drives, battery backups, stick and robot vacuums, fans, space heaters | Most items free; Best Buy says "some items may incur a recycling fee" and lists TV and monitor terms by state | Best Buy's page currently states both "up to ten items per household per day" and "limit three items per household per day" in different sections. Residents only, no business equipment, no recalled products |
| Staples | Computers, laptops, tablets, phones, hard drives, routers and modems, small servers, shredders, gaming consoles, cables, ink and toner | Free | No TVs on the accepted list |
| Home Depot and Lowe's | Rechargeable batteries and power-tool packs through Call2Recycle bins | Free | Not a drop-off for computers or TVs |
Other recyclers around Boston
Bing Places lists R2 Recycling at 100 Summer Street and ProTek Recycling at 10 Post Office Square in the city (both business-oriented ITAD offices), Trident Electronics Recycling in Salem, and EverTech Electronics Recycling on Waverley Oaks Road in Waltham; none has been verified by us for household walk-ins, so call first. The Cambridge Recycling Center at 147 Hampshire Street serves Cambridge residents only. Older directories list Gazelle's former North Beacon Street office, which is a mail-in buyback service, not a drop-off.
What Massachusetts law says
Under 310 CMR 19.017, MassDEP's waste bans, cathode ray tubes have been banned from disposal, incineration or transfer for disposal at any Massachusetts solid waste facility since 1 April 2000, and everyone must segregate CRTs from the trash. Boston's curbside program is how the city complies for residents. Massachusetts does not have a manufacturer take-back law for electronics of the kind Texas or Illinois has, so the city and retailers carry the load; MassDEP's Recycle Smart "Beyond the Bin" search lists take-back sites statewide.
TVs in Boston
- Any TV, including CRT: book a Special Collection through 311 (counts toward your 10 items a year), or bring it to the 26 September Zero Waste Day.
- Flat-panel up to 50 inches: Best Buy, fee may apply.
- Working TV: sell or donate it; the city's own suggestion is to donate working special items.
Before you drop off a computer or phone
The city tells you to wipe data before a computer goes curbside, and a Zero Waste Day drop-off gives the same advice; neither promises data destruction. Sign out of Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung accounts, back up, then factory reset; pull or overwrite an old spinning hard drive. Our factory reset guide covers every major device.
Is it worth money instead?
A working phone, tablet or laptop under about six years old usually has a buyer. Check this month's buyback prices in the Trade-In Price Index or run your model through the Device Value Checker before recycling it. Broken devices can be priced with the Scrap Value Calculator.
Nearby cities
Sources
- City of Boston Public Works, Special Collection Items (boston.gov/departments/public-works/special-collection-items), items list, booking, limits, placement and condition rules, checked 25 August 2026
- City of Boston Public Works, Zero Waste Days (boston.gov/departments/public-works/zero-waste-day) and Zero Waste Day Drop-Off event page for 26 September 2026, residency rules, accepted materials and partners, checked 25 August 2026
- Good Point Recycling accepted items sheet for Boston Zero Waste Day events (boston.gov PDF, June 2025), checked 25 August 2026
- 310 CMR 19.017 Waste Bans, restricted materials table (Cornell LII), CRT ban effective 1 April 2000, checked 25 August 2026
- Best Buy, Electronics and Appliances Recycling program page, checked 25 August 2026
- Staples, Recycling Services in-store accepted items list, checked 25 August 2026
- Bing Places listings for Boston-area electronics recyclers, checked 25 August 2026
