How to Dispose of a TV: 6 Options by Cost and Speed [2026]

Flat screen TVs (LCD, LED, plasma, OLED) contain mercury in backlights and are banned from landfills in most states. Here are your options ranked by convenience.

If your TV is under 50 inches and you have a car, Best Buy is the fastest option. Drive it to any store and pay $25-29.99 at the recycling kiosk. No appointment needed. Limit 2 TVs per day.

If your TV is 50 inches or larger, Best Buy will not accept it in-store. Your options are:

• •Municipal e-waste facility — free, but you need a truck or SUV to transport a large TV
• •Retailer haul-away — $59.99 with a new TV purchase from Best Buy, Samsung, or LG
• •Dropcurb — $79 for same-day curbside pickup, any size
• •Schedule municipal curbside e-waste collection (many cities offer this monthly or quarterly)

If the TV still works, consider selling on Facebook Marketplace or donating to Goodwill. Working flat screens under 5 years old typically sell for $30-100 used. Goodwill accepts working TVs under 32 inches at most locations.

CRT televisions contain 4-8 pounds of lead in the glass, making them hazardous waste. They are the most difficult type of TV to dispose of because fewer facilities accept them and they are extremely heavy (a 32-inch CRT weighs 80-150 pounds).

Options for CRT TVs:

• •Best Buy — accepts CRT TVs under 32 inches for $25-29.99 (not available in CT or PA)
• •Municipal hazardous waste facility — free in most jurisdictions, but you must transport it
• •E-waste recycling events — free, hosted quarterly by most cities
• •Dropcurb — $79 curbside pickup, any size CRT

Warning: Many recyclers have stopped accepting CRT TVs because the leaded glass has no profitable end market. Municipal programs remain the most reliable free option. Call ahead to confirm your local facility still accepts them.

Do NOT attempt to break open a CRT TV. The vacuum tube can implode, and the phosphor coating inside contains toxic materials. Leave CRT TVs intact for professional recycling.

If cost is the priority, several free options exist — all require you to transport the TV yourself.

Municipal e-waste drop-off: Most cities operate permanent e-waste collection sites at recycling centers, transfer stations, or designated drop-off points. Search "[your city] e-waste drop-off" for locations and hours. Any TV size accepted, no fees for residents.

City e-waste collection events: Many municipalities hold free electronics collection events 2-4 times per year. These accept any electronics in any condition. Check your city website or sign up for waste management email alerts.

Retailer trade-in: If your TV still powers on, Best Buy and Amazon sometimes offer trade-in credit. Best Buy's trade-in program pays $10-75 for working flat-screen TVs depending on brand and size.

Curbside e-waste pickup (select cities): Some cities (Portland, San Francisco, Seattle) include free e-waste curbside collection as part of regular trash service. Check if your city offers this before paying for private pickup.

In most cases, no. At least 25 states have laws banning TVs and electronics from regular trash. States with explicit TV disposal bans include California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Even in states without explicit bans, most waste haulers refuse TVs in curbside trash collection. Items left at the curb without proper scheduling may result in fines from $50-500 depending on your municipality.

What happens if you put a TV in the trash: Your waste hauler will likely leave it on the curb with a rejection sticker. In strict enforcement areas (California, New York), code enforcement can issue fines. CRT TVs left in landfills leach lead into groundwater — this is the environmental reason behind the bans.

Bottom line: A TV requires either recycling (Best Buy, municipal facility) or private removal (Dropcurb, junk haulers). Regular trash is not an option in most of the country.

Before recycling or disposing of any TV, take these steps.

Disconnect and unplug the TV at least 24 hours before disposal. This allows any residual charge to dissipate (CRT TVs hold high voltage in capacitors).

Remove the stand or wall mount. TV stands are typically plastic or metal and can go in regular recycling. Wall mount brackets are scrap metal.

Check for trade-in value. If your flat-screen TV is under 8 years old and still works, it likely has resale value. A working 55-inch LED TV from 2020 typically sells for $50-150 on Facebook Marketplace. Even a working 40-inch TV from 2018 sells for $30-60.

Remove any streaming devices (Roku, Fire Stick, Chromecast) plugged into HDMI ports. Sign out of any apps (Netflix, Hulu) on smart TVs and factory reset the TV to clear your accounts.

Note the size. Measure the screen diagonally. This determines which disposal methods are available — under 32 inches has the most options, 32-49 inches has moderate options, and 50+ inches is more limited.