How to get rid of/recycle TVs for free

[RoxMonster]

We have two TVs (one smaller, one slightly larger) we did not have luck selling at our garage sale and I just want them out of my house. Goodwill doesn't accept them. Our Salvation Army only takes TVs newer than five years old, which they aren't. The electronics recycling place in town charges $20 per TV and Best Buy charges $30 per TV. The thing is, these TVs aren't even worth that much. I do not want to pay more than they are worth just to get rid of them.

Are there any other options for free that I am not thinking of? Or am I just stuck with these things forever? LOL

[mcsangel2]

Best Buy charges to recycle because it costs THEM money to recycle. Electronic recycling, though not really as good for the environment as we'd like to think, is still the most responsible way to dispose of a tv.

[gardengal]

Does your area have free e-waste recycling days? Ours does once or twice a year.

[thebreakfastclub]

My city takes electronics for free recycling twice a year, spring and fall. Or you can reach out to whoever does your trash pickup, mine has recycling events for TVs, paint cans, etc.

[ssmjlm]

Do they work? What about your local buy nothing group?

[RoxMonster]

One works and one does not. I did go to my city’s FB page and one of the places I had looked up does have some free e-cycling days on conjunction with the city so I’ll do that. Thanks for the idea!

[sporklemotion]

Ditto Buy Nothing. Even if they don’t work, you might find a taker if you’re honest about the condition. We have a few people in my group who like to tinker with electronics stuff and they’ll take things that would otherwise go to waste. However, please be honest about it— I’ve gotten a couple of things that I was directly told would work but didn’t, and were so obsolete that I couldn’t get the parts to get them usable. And now I have to deal with disposing of them.

Not cheaper than the other options, but the band at my local high school does an electronics disposal fundraiser— at least then, you might feel like the money is going to a good cause?

[Jalapeñomel]

Contact a local STEM/physics teacher!

[devonpow]

Post it on buy nothing or similar sites - you would be surprised with what people want/take! Also around me there are a few clubs at the high school and other places that want old electronics to take apart for parts/practice repairs etc, you can look into that

[RoxMonster]

I didn’t think about the HS club or class route. That’s a good idea too!

[wanderingback]

Well it’s not free to recycle them so honestly I’d just pay $20 or $30. But if you do want to go through taking more time to find options I agree with buy nothing or post on local community boards to see if a teacher or other school program might want them.

[VillainV]

Re-use is a step up from recycle. Definitely see if anyone wants to take them off your hands for free!

If none of the options mentioned above work out, look for a local business with a “smash room” or “rage room.” It’s not as environmentally sound as recycling perhaps, but they may take it from you.

[wildrice]

Another vote to post for free. We got rid of a TV that way a few years ago. I was specific about what was wrong with it and offered to give it to anyone who wanted it. I think within a day or two someone picked it up.

[Susie]

Definitely Buy Nothing for the one that works.  For the one that doesn't, I'd avail myself of my town's electronics recycling day, although that takes patience.  It's only once or twice a year.

[Deleted]

Some towns will do an Electronics recycling day once or twice a year. We also have a place that's about 35 minutes from me where you can drop off for free year round, so that is what I usually end up doing because I generally would rather make the drive than have the items sit in my house until the next recycling event comes around.

[bex1973]

I am 100% a terrible person because I would just put it on the curb for either someone driving by to take or the trash to pick up. Trend in my neighborhood would be that someone is pretty likely to grab it before trash company but I'd put it out either way...

Y'all are much better people than me LOL

[k3am]

Aug 14, 2023 12:14:50 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

I am 100% a terrible person because I would just put it on the curb for either someone driving by to take or the trash to pick up. Trend in my neighborhood would be that someone is pretty likely to grab it before trash company but I'd put it out either way...

Y'all are much better people than me LOL

I'm jealous that your trash company would take it. We have to schedule a large item pickup for anything that doesn't fit in the cans, and even then, if items are not EXACTLY what they were expecting and placed EXACTLY the way they want them, they will not be picked up. It's to the point that I prefer to just pay a junk hauler than deal with it. 

But I digress. I'd go for BNG group, look for a free e-waste recycle event, and then pay to dispose, in that order. 

[bex1973]

Aug 14, 2023 12:47:09 GMT -5 k3am said:

Aug 14, 2023 12:14:50 GMT -5 bex1973 said:

I am 100% a terrible person because I would just put it on the curb for either someone driving by to take or the trash to pick up. Trend in my neighborhood would be that someone is pretty likely to grab it before trash company but I'd put it out either way...

Y'all are much better people than me LOL

I'm jealous that your trash company would take it. We have to schedule a large item pickup for anything that doesn't fit in the cans, and even then, if items are not EXACTLY what they were expecting and placed EXACTLY the way they want them, they will not be picked up. It's to the point that I prefer to just pay a junk hauler than deal with it. 

But I digress. I'd go for BNG group, look for a free e-waste recycle event, and then pay to dispose, in that order. 

Ours will pretty much pick up anything. I'm always seeing large items out for pick up.  But we really do have a regular stream of folks who drive through the night before picking things up so if we have something large that we couldn't get rid of through the BN group it is usualy gone before the trucks come through.

[icedcoffee]

My county recycling center takes them for free. They don’t even check that you are a resident.