Atlanta has no city-run electronics drop-off; the City of Atlanta's role is to send residents to Live Thrive's CHaRM, the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials at 1110 Hill Street SE, which takes electronics by appointment on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, free except for a $25 charge per TV or monitor. Computers, laptops, phones, printers and monitors are free with no appointment at Ecycle Atlanta in College Park (weekdays) and at Fulton Metals Recycling's two yards (six days a week). Best Buy and Staples take small items free, and Georgia has no e-waste law, so these private and non-profit routes are the whole system. Every address, hour and fee below was checked against the source on 25 August 2026.
CHaRM Atlanta: by appointment, TVs and monitors $25
| Detail | |
|---|
| Address | CHaRM Atlanta, 1110 Hill Street SE, Atlanta, GA 30315, (404) 600-6386; a second site, CHaRM DeKalb in Decatur, opens Wednesdays 9 am to 2 pm and Saturdays 8 am to 2 pm |
| Hours | Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 am to 2 pm; Saturdays 8 am to 2 pm; appointment required, booked on livethrive.org |
| Electronics accepted | Any item that requires electricity or charging: computers, laptops, tablets, cell phones, printers, DVRs, microwaves, coffee makers, hair dryers, vacuums, mixers, wire, cables, chargers, Christmas lights, and TVs and monitors |
| Fees | Residents: TVs and monitors $25 each, everything else free. Businesses: TVs and monitors $25, other items $0.55 per lb |
| Batteries | Button, NiMH, lithium, carbon zinc, NiCd and rechargeable batteries free, terminals taped; alkaline and car batteries not accepted |
| Closures | CHaRM publishes closure dates on its site (5 September 2026 is listed); document shredding only at events at CHaRM DeKalb, next on 12 September, $0.50 per lb for residents |
CHaRM is a non-profit funded by grants and recycling fees, and it states that its own website is the only accurate source for what it accepts. Book before you go; the appointment is how it tracks material for its funders.
Free walk-in recyclers
| Recycler | Address | Hours | Terms |
|---|
| Ecycle Atlanta (Atlanta Computer Recycling) | 640 Cordell Drive, Suite B, Atlanta, GA 30349 (College Park), (678) 324-9760 | Monday to Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm | Free with no minimum or maximum quantity: computers, laptops, monitors, printers, copiers, phones, hard drives, routers; free hard-drive shredding and data destruction. Its Peachtree Corners site is closed |
| Fulton Metals Recycling, College Park | 4255 Roosevelt Hwy, Atlanta, GA 30349, (404) 600-1444 | Monday to Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm; Saturday 9 am to 1:30 pm | Scrap yard that takes laptops, desktops, phones, cords, flat-screen TVs and some CRTs, monitors, printers, audio gear, consoles, power tools, networking gear and rechargeable batteries; no appointment; data destruction on request |
| Fulton Metals Recycling, Alpharetta | 11460 N Fulton Industrial Blvd, Alpharetta, GA 30009 | Same hours | Same list |
| Beyond Surplus | 1835 S Cobb Industrial Blvd SE, Smyrna, (404) 905-8235 | Business hours, plus a secure after-hours lockbox | Residential drop-off free for most items including LCD and LED computer monitors; some items carry a fee per its accepted-items list; free business pickups nationwide |
| eWaste ePlanet | 6510 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, (404) 295-9220 | Business hours | Certified ITAD and data destruction, business-oriented |
Older directories list Leapfrog Services on Chantilly Drive and Zentech on Mayson Street; neither could be verified as a current household drop-off. Elian Electronics Recycling at 3450 Buffington Center appears in Bing Places; call before visiting.
Retail drop-off in Atlanta: 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 |
What Georgia law says
Georgia is not among the 25 states with an electronics recycling or landfill-ban law. There is no manufacturer take-back duty and no state fee, which is why Atlanta's system is a non-profit (CHaRM), scrap yards and retailers rather than a city program, and why screens cost $25 at CHaRM. Businesses remain subject to federal RCRA rules on CRT glass, batteries and mercury components.
TVs in Atlanta
- Flat-screen: Fulton Metals Recycling free (either yard), Best Buy up to 50 inches (fee may apply), or CHaRM at $25 by appointment.
- CRT: Fulton Metals takes "some CRTs" so call first; CHaRM takes any TV at $25.
- Working TV: sell or donate it before paying to recycle it.
Before you drop off a computer or phone
Ecycle Atlanta shreds drives free and Beyond Surplus and eWaste ePlanet certify destruction; CHaRM and the scrap yards make no promise unless you ask. 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, and Fulton Metals pays scrap value on metal-heavy items. Check this month's buyback prices in the Trade-In Price Index or run your model through the Device Value Checker before recycling. Broken devices can be priced with the Scrap Value Calculator.
Nearby cities
Sources
- Live Thrive, CHaRM and Items We Accept pages (livethrive.org/charm), addresses, appointment hours, electronics list and fees, battery rules, closure and shredding dates, checked 25 August 2026
- Ecycle Atlanta, Electronic Drop Off page (ecycleatlanta.com), College Park address, hours and free services, checked 25 August 2026
- Fulton Metals Recycling, Electronics Recycling page (fultonmetalsrecycling.com), accepted items and both yards' hours, checked 25 August 2026
- Beyond Surplus (beyondsurplus.com), residential drop-off terms, checked 25 August 2026
- eWaste ePlanet (ewasteeplanet.com), checked 25 August 2026
- eCycling Central state e-waste law dataset (25 states with laws; Georgia not among them), 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 Atlanta recycling centers, checked 25 August 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I recycle electronics for free in Atlanta?
Ecycle Atlanta at 640 Cordell Drive, Suite B, College Park, takes computers, laptops, monitors, printers, phones and drives free with no appointment, Monday to Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm. Fulton Metals Recycling's College Park (4255 Roosevelt Hwy) and Alpharetta yards take electronics including flat-screen TVs six days a week. CHaRM at 1110 Hill Street SE is free for everything except TVs and monitors, by appointment. Best Buy and Staples take small items free.
How much does CHaRM Atlanta charge to recycle a TV?
$25 per TV or monitor for residents; all other electronics are free. Businesses pay $25 per screen and $0.55 per lb for other items. CHaRM Atlanta is open by appointment only on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 am to 2 pm and Saturdays 8 am to 2 pm; book on livethrive.org.
Does the City of Atlanta run an electronics drop-off?
No. Atlanta's permanent hard-to-recycle drop-off is CHaRM, run by the non-profit Live Thrive at 1110 Hill Street SE, with a second site in Decatur. Retailers and private recyclers such as Ecycle Atlanta and Fulton Metals provide the free walk-in options.
Is it illegal to throw electronics in the trash in Georgia?
No. Georgia has no state electronics recycling law or landfill ban, unlike 25 other states, and no manufacturer take-back requirement. Recycling in Atlanta runs through a non-profit, scrap yards and retailers rather than a state or city program.
Where in Atlanta can I recycle a laptop with the hard drive destroyed?
Ecycle Atlanta in College Park shreds hard drives free as part of its drop-off service; Beyond Surplus in Smyrna and eWaste ePlanet in Norcross provide certified data destruction. Fulton Metals offers destruction on request. Factory reset and sign out of your accounts before drop-off regardless.
