Printer Recycling Near Me: Free Drop-Off and Pickup Options [2026]

Several national retailers and programs accept old printers for free recycling year-round. Here are your closest options:

• •Best Buy accepts printers from any manufacturer at no charge. Their recycling program covers inkjet printers, laser printers, all-in-one units, and even old dot-matrix models. The limit is 3 items per household per day, and you can walk in during store hours — no appointment needed.

• •Staples offers free printer recycling at all U.S. locations. Bring any brand of printer to the customer service desk for drop-off. Staples also sells mail-in recycling kits starting at $14 if you'd rather ship from home.

• •City e-waste collection events accept all printers regardless of brand, condition, or type. Most cities hold these 1–4 times per year. Check your municipality's solid waste or public works website for the next scheduled event.

• •Certified e-waste recyclers like GreenCitizen accept printers for responsible processing. Many offer free drop-off at their facilities. Search for "e-waste recycler" plus your city to find certified options nearby.

• •Goodwill and Salvation Army accept working printers as donations. You'll get a tax-deduction receipt, but they won't take broken or non-functional units.

HP runs the most comprehensive manufacturer recycling program for printers. Their Planet Partners program covers all HP hardware — inkjet printers, laser printers, all-in-ones, and scanners — at no cost to you.

How HP Planet Partners works:

• •Visit HP's recycling page and select your product type.
• •HP generates a prepaid shipping label you can print at home.
• •Pack the printer in any box and drop it at a UPS or FedEx location.
• •HP handles all recycling through certified facilities.

The program is completely free regardless of the printer's age or condition. HP has recycled over 875 million ink and toner cartridges through this program.

Other brands are less generous:

• •Canon focuses primarily on cartridge recycling. Their hardware recycling program is limited, and most Canon printers need to go through a retailer like Best Buy or Staples instead.

• •Epson offers recycling through participating retail stores but doesn't provide a direct mail-back program for printers. Cartridge recycling is available through their website.

• •Brother runs a cartridge recycling program but has limited options for full hardware recycling. Your best bet for a Brother printer is Best Buy, Staples, or a local e-waste recycler.

If you have a non-HP printer, retailer drop-off programs or city e-waste events are typically your easiest free options.

Yes. Best Buy accepts old printers from any brand for free recycling at all U.S. store locations. Here's what you need to know:

• •Cost: Free. No recycling fee for printers.
• •Brands accepted: All — HP, Canon, Epson, Brother, Samsung, Lexmark, or any other manufacturer.
• •Types accepted: Inkjet printers, laser printers, all-in-one printer/scanner/copier units, standalone scanners, and fax machines.
• •Condition: Working or broken. They're recycling the materials, not reselling.
• •Daily limit: 3 items per household per day (across all electronics, not just printers).
• •How to drop off: Bring the printer to the customer service desk. No appointment or paperwork required.

Best Buy has recycled over 2 billion pounds of electronics since launching their program. For a single printer you can carry into the store, it's one of the simplest year-round options available.

Before recycling your printer, remove ink and toner cartridges and recycle them separately. Cartridges contain plastics and residual ink or toner that require different processing than the printer itself.

• •Staples gives you $2 back in rewards per cartridge recycled, up to 20 cartridges per month. Just bring them to any Staples location. This is the best deal available for cartridge recycling.

• •Best Buy accepts ink and toner cartridges for free recycling at all stores.

• •HP accepts HP-branded cartridges through their Planet Partners program. You can request a free prepaid shipping label or drop them at participating retail stores.

• •Office Depot/OfficeMax offers a rewards program for cartridge recycling similar to Staples.

Why it matters: Laser printer toner cartridges may contain residual toner powder that's classified as hazardous material in some states. Toner is a fine particulate that shouldn't be released into the environment. Recycling ensures proper handling.

If you have a large stash of old cartridges, Staples' $2-per-cartridge rewards program can add up. Twenty cartridges nets you $40 in store credit.

No — and in many states, it's illegal. Printers are classified as electronic waste (e-waste), and more than 25 states ban e-waste from landfills and regular trash collection.

Why printers can't go in the trash:

• •Circuit boards contain small amounts of lead, mercury, and other heavy metals that can leach into soil and groundwater.
• •Laser printers may hold residual toner, which some states classify as hazardous waste.
• •Plastics and metals in printers are recoverable through recycling. A single printer yields usable plastic, aluminum, steel, and copper.

Fines for improper disposal: States like California, New York, and Illinois impose fines ranging from $25 to over $1,000 for putting electronics in regular trash. Even in states without explicit bans, most municipal waste haulers will refuse to collect electronics curbside.

The good news: with free options at Best Buy, Staples, and city e-waste events, there's no reason to trash a printer. If transporting it is the barrier, curbside pickup services handle the logistics for you.