St. Louis has no city-run electronics drop-off, and the regional Household Hazardous Waste program (HHW STL) explicitly refuses electronics, TVs and monitors, so recycling here runs through private recyclers and public collection events. Spectrum Ecycle on Page Industrial Boulevard takes most electronics free on weekdays with no appointment and charges $15 to $50 for TVs and monitors; MRC Recycling runs free public events across the metro most Saturdays; Best Buy and Staples take small items free. Missouri's 2008 law puts a duty on computer and display manufacturers to file recovery plans, but it bans nothing from the trash. Every address, hour and fee below was checked against the source on 25 August 2026.
Spectrum Ecycle: the walk-in option
| Detail | |
|---|
| Address | 1521 Page Industrial Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63132, (314) 428-0777 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday 7 am to 5 pm; closed weekends; no appointment needed |
| Takes | Any device that plugs in or uses a battery, working or not: home electronics, appliances, office equipment, rechargeable batteries, ink and toner, wires and chargers |
| Refuses | Fluorescent bulbs and tubes, alkaline batteries, mercury thermostats, anything radioactive, biohazard or explosive; gas or oil devices must be drained |
Spectrum's residential price list (August 2026) says "if you don't see it listed, it's free". Listed fees: LCD or LED monitor any size $15; CRT monitor $30; flat-screen TV 31 inches or smaller $15, 32 inches or larger $25; tube TV 27 inches or less $30, 28 to 32 inches $40, 33 inches and up, console or rear-projection $50; microwave $10; anything with refrigerant $30; desktop printer, scanner, copier or fax $5; floor-standing copier $50; VHS tapes, DVDs and CDs $0.70 per lb; toner cartridges free for the first 5 lb then $0.40 per lb; certified data destruction $10 per hard drive. Residential pickup in the metro is $150 to $180 plus item fees, waived for 30 or more computers.
MRC Recycling public events
MRC Recycling (R2 and RIOS certified, Missouri DNR Level 4 registered, head office 3751 Old State Road M, Imperial, MO 63052, (636) 223-0150) runs community electronics recycling events that are open to the public; staff unload your car. On the schedule at the time of writing: Saturday 29 August 2026, 9 am to 12 pm, at 1924 Pestalozzi Street, St. Louis 63118 (host BHHS Select Properties) and the same morning at 401 Main Street, Pevely; Saturday 12 September at New Haven. MRC has a zero-landfill policy except for the wood from console TVs. Check the event page for TV fees before you go; events hosted by cities are usually free for most items with a charge on screens.
What St. Louis County and the city say
St. Louis County's electronics recycling page does not run a county drop-off; it points residents to the Recycle Coach tool and to a calendar of collection events, and its FAQ states that most electronic items are free to recycle but TVs and monitors may carry a fee because of the handling involved. The City of St. Louis Refuse Division (1900 Hampton Avenue) directs residents to the same private and event options; the city's website was unreachable when we checked. HHW STL, the joint city-county-Jefferson County hazardous waste program, lists appliances, electronics and TVs/monitors among the items it cannot accept at its facilities, and its online booking system was down on 25 August 2026 with a notice pointing to Earthbound Recycling.
Retail drop-off in St. Louis: 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 in the metro
Bing Places lists TechRemove Computer Recycling at 5661 Natural Bridge Ave in the city, Red Leaf IT Asset Recovery at 11837 Adie Rd in Maryland Heights, Phoenix Solutions at 312 Sovereign Ct in Ballwin, and Adonis ITAD in Festus. We have not verified their household terms; call first. Older directories list WITS (Web Innovations and Technology Services) on East Holly Avenue, Laclede Computer Trading on Gravois Road, and Gunther Electronics on Delmar; none could be confirmed as current household drop-offs.
What Missouri law says
Missouri's Manufacturer Responsibility and Consumer Convenience Equipment Collection and Recovery Act (RSMo 260.1050, 2008) requires manufacturers of computers, computer peripherals and video display devices sold in the state to file recovery plans with the Department of Natural Resources and offer free collection, with civil penalties up to $1,000 per day for non-compliance. It does not ban electronics from Missouri landfills and does not cover TVs beyond the display-device definition, which is why St. Louis recyclers charge for screens. DNR keeps a list of registered electronics recycling businesses; MRC and Spectrum both appear as registered processors.
TVs in St. Louis
- Flat-screen: Spectrum $15 (31 inches or smaller) or $25 (32 inches or larger); Best Buy up to 50 inches, fee may apply.
- CRT or projection set: Spectrum $30 to $50 by size; an MRC public event may be cheaper on the day.
- HHW STL will not take a TV at all.
- Working TV: sell or donate it first.
Before you drop off a computer or phone
Spectrum offers certified or witnessed destruction for $10 per drive and MRC destroys data as part of its process, but sign out of Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung accounts, back up and factory reset before you go regardless; 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 in St. Louis selling it also avoids a per-item fee. 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
- Spectrum Ecycle, Pricing, Residential Recycling and What We Take pages (spectrumecycle.com), address, hours, residential fee list and exclusions, checked 25 August 2026
- MRC Recycling, Electronics Recycling Events page (mrcrecycling.net), certifications, zero-landfill policy and August to September 2026 event list, checked 25 August 2026
- St. Louis County, Electronics Recycling page and "Is there a fee for recycling electronics?" FAQ (stlouiscountymo.gov), as indexed by Bing on 25 August 2026; the page path had changed and returned a 404 when opened directly
- HHW STL, home page and Unacceptable Waste Disposal Options (hhwstl.com), electronics and TV exclusion and system-down notice, checked 25 August 2026
- eCycling Central state e-waste law dataset, Missouri entry (RSMo 260.1050, 2008), 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 St. Louis area recycling centers, checked 25 August 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I recycle electronics for free in St. Louis?
Spectrum Ecycle at 1521 Page Industrial Blvd takes most electronics free, Monday to Friday 7 am to 5 pm, no appointment; only screens, microwaves, refrigerant devices and printers carry a fee. MRC Recycling runs free public collection events most Saturdays around the metro, and Best Buy and Staples take small electronics free. Neither the city nor the county runs its own electronics drop-off.
Does the St. Louis household hazardous waste program take TVs or computers?
No. HHW STL, the joint program for St. Louis City, St. Louis County and Jefferson County, lists appliances, electronics and TVs/monitors among the items it cannot accept. Take screens to Spectrum Ecycle, an MRC event or Best Buy instead.
How much does it cost to recycle a TV in St. Louis?
At Spectrum Ecycle a flat-screen is $15 up to 31 inches or $25 at 32 inches and larger; a tube TV is $30 up to 27 inches, $40 at 28 to 32 inches and $50 for larger, console or rear-projection sets. Best Buy takes flat panels up to 50 inches and may charge a fee. St. Louis County's FAQ confirms TVs and monitors are the items that usually carry a charge.
Is it illegal to throw electronics away in Missouri?
No. Missouri's 2008 Manufacturer Responsibility and Consumer Convenience Equipment Collection and Recovery Act (RSMo 260.1050) makes computer and display manufacturers file recovery plans and offer collection, but it does not ban electronics from landfills. Recycling is voluntary for households, which is why screens cost money to recycle here.
When is the next free electronics recycling event in St. Louis?
MRC Recycling's public schedule listed Saturday 29 August 2026, 9 am to 12 pm, at 1924 Pestalozzi Street, St. Louis 63118, and the same morning at 401 Main Street, Pevely, with more dates in September. Check mrcrecycling.net for the current list and any screen fees before travelling.
