TV Recycling Near Me: Free Sites, Real Fees and Rules (2026)
A TV is the one piece of electronics that regularly costs money to recycle, and the price depends far more on where you live than on the set. In cities with a manufacturer-funded program or a city drop-off (Houston, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, Calgary, Melbourne, Brisbane) any TV is free. Where there is no program, published August 2026 prices run from $15 for a small flat-screen in St. Louis to $90 for a projection set in Indianapolis, and Best Buy takes flat panels up to 50 inches with a possible per-set fee. Twenty-five states plus Washington, DC ban TVs from the trash or make manufacturers fund their recycling. Every figure below was checked against the city page or the recycler's own price list on 25 and 26 August 2026.
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Where to go and what it costs
| Option | Accepts | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| City drop-off sites (free) | Any TV, CRT included | Free | Houston (three city sites plus Saturday events), Chicago HCCRF, Dallas transfer stations, Louisville Waste Reduction Center (3 items a day), Boston 311 pickup (10 a year), San Antonio Culebra Rd HHW, Calgary Eco Centres, Melbourne Dynon Road, Brisbane resource recovery centres, Winnipeg 4R depots, Ottawa Trail Road |
| Best Buy | Flat-panel TVs and monitors up to 50 inches | Free to $29.99 depending on state | DC's official list records $29.99 per TV or monitor at Best Buy, two per household per day; Best Buy's own page gives both a 10-item and a 3-item daily limit, so ask in store. No CRTs listed |
| Private recyclers where there is no program | All TV types | $15-$90 per set | St. Louis Spectrum Ecycle: flat-screen $15-$25, tube $30-$50; Atlanta CHaRM: $25 any screen; Indianapolis Green Wave: CRT under 32 inches $25, LED over 32 inches $50, projection $90; Chicago AVA partners: $0.50 per inch LCD, $1 per inch CRT; Denver Blue Star: $0.79-$1.10 per lb |
| City transfer stations with a CRT allowance | CRT and flat TVs | Free within a limit | Phoenix: first two CRTs per household per month free, then $20 each; Indianapolis ToxDrop: TVs up to 27 inches only |
| Manufacturer take-back | Own brand, sometimes any brand | Free | Required by law in Texas (Texas Recycles TVs), Illinois, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington and other EPR states; Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio run mail-back or partner drop-off programs |
| Haul-away with a new TV | Old set collected on delivery | $0-$199.99 | Best Buy quotes $199.99 for stand-alone or delivery haul-away; some promotions waive it |
Before you go: 4 quick checks
- Photograph the TV before drop-off if you want proof of disposal.
- Remove wall-mount brackets and cables; recycle cables separately.
- CRT (tube) TVs: carry upright and do not crack the glass, which holds several pounds of lead.
- Check the size limit before you drive: Indianapolis ToxDrop stops at 27 inches, Houston's city sites take CRTs up to 36 inches, Best Buy stops at 50 inches.
What a TV costs to recycle, city by city (August 2026 price lists)
- Houston: free at Westpark, both Environmental Service Centers and the Kingwood and Clear Lake Saturday events; CRTs up to 36 inches.
- Chicago: free at the HCCRF, any type; AVA Recycling partners charge $0.50 per inch (LCD/LED) or $1 per inch (CRT).
- Dallas: free at the three transfer stations with proof of residency, CRT and projection included.
- San Antonio: free at the Culebra Road HHW center within the 220 lb limit.
- Boston: free curbside Special Collection through 311, or the 26 September Zero Waste Day.
- Louisville: free as one of three daily items at the Waste Reduction Center.
- Indianapolis: ToxDrop free up to 27 inches; Technology Recyclers $20 any size; Green Wave $25 (CRT under 32) to $90 (projection).
- St. Louis: Spectrum Ecycle $15-$25 flat-screen, $30-$50 tube; HHW STL refuses TVs.
- Atlanta: CHaRM $25 per screen by appointment; Fulton Metals free for flat-screens and some CRTs.
- Denver: Blue Star $0.79 per lb (LCD or CRT), $1.10 per lb broken CRT, less with the city E-cycle Coupon.
- Phoenix: city transfer stations, first two CRTs a month free, then $20 each; flat TVs within the free monthly tonne.
- Oklahoma City: no free TV route except Best Buy; AfterTech and the city HHW center refuse TVs.
- Kansas City: Surplus Exchange about $0.25 per lb for CRT and projection sets; city electronics events free.
- Virginia Beach: city landfill takes flat TVs free but no CRTs.
- Washington, DC: DPW events free; Best Buy $29.99, two per day.
- Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane: free at the council or depot sites, all sizes.
Is it illegal to throw a TV away in your state?
Banned from the trash: Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Colorado (screens over four inches since 1 July 2013), Massachusetts (cathode ray tubes since 1 April 2000), Washington, DC (since 1 January 2018), and Victoria and Western Australia in Australia.
Manufacturer-funded recycling without a household ban: Texas (Texas Recycles TVs), Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and the other EPR states; Missouri, Oklahoma, Utah, Virginia and Maryland cover computers or displays but not TVs in the same way, so TVs there often carry a fee. California funds it with a fee paid at purchase.
No law: Arizona, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee and 17 more; the free routes are retailers and city programs. The full statute table is in the electronics recycling near me guide.
Clearing out a business, school or office?
Retailer drop-off programs are for households. Organisations with 20 or more devices, or drives that need certified erasure or destruction, can get a quote from a certified ITAD provider through our enquiry form. It is free, there is no obligation, and we are paid by the provider only if a job goes ahead.
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Options in major US cities
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Frequently asked questions
Where can I recycle a TV for free near me?
At a city drop-off in cities that run one: Houston, Chicago, Dallas, San Antonio, Louisville and Boston (by 311 appointment) all take any TV free for residents, as do the council depots in Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. In the 25 states with manufacturer-funded programs, county collection sites are free. Elsewhere, Best Buy takes flat panels up to 50 inches, sometimes for a fee, and private recyclers charge $15-$90.
How much does Best Buy charge to recycle a TV?
Best Buy's recycling page says some items may incur a fee and lists TV and monitor terms by state; Washington DC's official eCYCLE list records $29.99 per TV or monitor at the Columbia Heights Best Buy with a limit of two TVs and two monitors per household per day. Flat panels up to 50 inches only; CRTs are not on the list.
Can I put a TV in the bin or dumpster?
Not in Illinois, Indiana, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts (CRTs) or Washington DC, where TVs are banned from the trash, and not in Victoria or Western Australia. Cities such as Houston, Ottawa and Brisbane refuse them at the curb even without a state ban. Fines for dumping run up to $2,500 in Indianapolis.
Do old TVs have scrap value?
No. CRT sets cost money to process because the glass holds lead, which is why recyclers charge by the pound or per inch. Flat-screens hold a few dollars of copper and aluminium, which the recycler keeps. A working TV is worth more sold or donated than any recycler will pay.
What is the cheapest way to get rid of a big CRT TV?
A city site that takes CRTs free (Houston up to 36 inches, Chicago, Dallas, Louisville, Boston by appointment) or the manufacturer's take-back where state law requires it. Where you must pay, Technology Recyclers in Indianapolis ($20 any size) and Surplus Exchange in Kansas City (about $0.25 per lb) are the lowest published rates we found; Green Wave's $90 for a projection set is the highest.