Printer Disposal Cost: How to Get Rid of an Old Printer [2026]

Printer disposal is free for most home printers. Costs go up for large office printers and all-in-one copier machines. Here is what each method costs:

Best Buy accepts printers for free recycling at all store locations. You can drop off up to 3 items per household per day. Any brand, any condition — working or broken. This is the easiest option if you can carry the printer to your car.

Staples offers free tech recycling at store locations. Printers are accepted alongside computers and other small electronics. No purchase necessary.

Epson provides free mail-in recycling. Print a prepaid FedEx shipping label from their website, pack the printer in any suitable box, and drop it off at FedEx Office or schedule a FedEx pickup. Completely free.

HP Planet Partners recycles HP printers at no charge. Request a free shipping label or find a local drop-off point through their website. They also accept HP ink and toner cartridges.

Goodwill and Salvation Army accept working printers as donations. You get a tax deduction receipt. Even older printers in working condition have value — someone will use them.

Junk removal companies charge $70-150+ per item. LoadUp starts at $130 for office printer recycling. 1-800-GOT-JUNK charges a minimum of $100-150 for their smallest load. Home inkjet printers are small enough that most junk removal companies charge their minimum fee.

City e-waste programs accept printers for free in most areas. Philadelphia accepts electronics free at sanitation centers Monday through Saturday. San Diego accepts them at the Miramar facility by appointment. Check your local sanitation department.

It depends on where you live:

• •In 25 states plus D.C. with e-waste laws, printers should not go in regular trash. Printers contain circuit boards, heavy metals, and in some cases leftover ink or toner that can contaminate landfills

• •Small inkjet printers may be accepted as regular trash in states without e-waste laws, but recycling is always the better option

• •Laser printers contain toner cartridges with fine powder that should be handled carefully. Do not open or crush toner cartridges — the powder is a respiratory irritant

• •Large office printers and copiers are too heavy for regular trash (50-200+ pounds) and require special disposal

The safest approach: drop it off at Best Buy or Staples for free. Takes 5 minutes and costs nothing.

Do not throw ink or toner cartridges in the trash. Most can be recycled for free:

• •Staples pays $2 per cartridge in rewards (up to 10 per month) when you bring them in for recycling

• •Best Buy accepts ink and toner cartridges for free recycling

• •HP Planet Partners offers free cartridge return — request prepaid shipping labels at hp.com

• •Brother, Canon, and Epson all have free cartridge recycling programs with prepaid shipping

• •Office Depot accepts cartridges for recycling and sometimes offers rewards

• •Third-party services like Planet Green Recycle buy certain cartridges for refill/remanufacture

Remove cartridges before disposing of your printer if you plan to recycle them separately for rewards. Otherwise, leave them in — recycling programs handle the whole unit.

Disposal cost varies dramatically by printer size:

Home inkjet printers (5-20 lbs) are free to recycle at any retailer or through manufacturer programs. These are small enough to carry to your car and into a store.

Home laser printers (15-40 lbs) are also free at retailers but heavier. You may need help lifting an all-in-one laser printer.

Small office printers (40-80 lbs) start getting expensive to remove. Too heavy for easy drop-off, these are where junk removal services make sense. LoadUp starts at $130 for office printer recycling.

Large office copiers and MFPs (100-300+ lbs) require professional removal. These floor-standing machines often need two people and a dolly. Junk removal companies charge $150-400+ depending on size and location. Some copier leasing companies handle removal when you return the lease.

The cheapest ways to get rid of an old printer:

• •Drop it off at Best Buy or Staples — free, no appointment, any brand or condition

• •Use manufacturer mail-in programs — Epson and HP provide free prepaid shipping labels

• •Recycle ink and toner cartridges separately at Staples for $2 per cartridge in rewards

• •Donate working printers to Goodwill or Salvation Army for a tax deduction

• •List working printers on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist — even older printers sell for $20-50 if they work

• •Check if your employer handles e-waste recycling — many companies have electronics recycling programs that accept home items

• •Bundle with other items — if you have a printer plus other e-waste or furniture, Dropcurb at $79 per item beats paying the $100-150 minimum at traditional junk removal companies