ITEM | Best Buy | Staples | OfficeMax & Office Depot | Thrift Donation |
Alarm clocks | X | X | ||
All-in-one computers | X | X | $fee | X |
Amps / amplifier stereo equipment | X | X | ||
Amps and effects | X | X | ||
Audio mixers/DJ turntables | X | X | ||
Audio wiring harnesses and install kits | X | X | X | |
Battery backups (UPS) | X | X | X | |
Binoculars | X | X | ||
Blu-ray players | X | X | X | |
Boom boxes | X | X | ||
Brooms/stick vacuums | X | X | ||
Cable / Satellite Receivers | X | X | X | |
Cables, connectors, adapters | X | X | $fee | X |
Calculators | X | X | X | |
Camcorders | X | X | $fee | X |
Camera – digital or SLR | X | X | $fee | X |
Cassette players | X | X | ||
CB radios | X | X | ||
CD drives | X | X | X | |
CD players/recorders | X | X | X | |
Cell phones | X | X | X | X |
Chargers | X | $fee | X | |
Coffee Brewers (less than 40 lbs) | X | X | ||
Computer | X | X | $fee | X |
Computer speakers | X | X | X | |
Connected Home Devices | X | X | X | |
Controllers | X | X | ||
Copiers | X | X | ||
Cordless phones | X | X | $fee | X |
Curling irons | X | X | ||
Decks – audio | X | X | ||
Desktop computers | X | X | $fee | X |
Digital cameras | X | X | $fee | X |
Digital photo frames | X | X | ||
DirecTV set-top boxes | X | X | X | |
DVD – Portable | X | X | $fee | X |
DVD drives | X | X | $fee | X |
DVD In-dash/overhead | X | X | $fee | X |
DVD players | X | X | $fee | X |
E-readers | X | X | X | |
Fans | X | X | ||
Fax Machine (facsimile) | X | X | $fee | X |
Flash Drives | X | X | ||
Gaming consoles / handhelds | X | X | ||
GPS | X | X | X | |
Hair dryers | X | X | ||
Hair straighteners | X | X | ||
Hands-free headsets | X | X | ||
Hard drives | X | X | X | |
Headphones | X | X | ||
Heart monitors | X | X | ||
Home audio networking | X | X | X | |
Home recording interfaces | X | X | ||
Home Theater systems (HTIB ) | X | X | X | |
Hubs (computer networking) | X | X | X | |
In-dash GPS | X | X | X | |
Internet TV set-top boxes | X | X | X | |
iPods | X | X | X | |
Keyboards and mice | X | X | $fee | X |
Landline telephone | X | X | $fee | X |
Laptop batteries | X | *see above | X | |
Laptop computers | X | X | $fee | X |
Lenses | X | X | ||
Media players – Portable | X | X | X | |
Memory cards | X | X | ||
Mice and keyboards | X | X | X | |
Mobile phones | X | X | X | X |
Modems | X | X | X | |
Monitoring systems | X | X | ||
Monitors (including CRT, LED, LCD, plasma) | X | $fee | ||
MP3 player | X | X | $fee | X |
MP3 speakers | X | X | ||
Netbook computers | X | X | $fee | X |
Outdoor GPS | X | X | X | |
Pedometers | X | X | ||
Personal recorders | X | X | ||
Portable gaming | X | X | X | |
Portable GPS | X | X | X | |
Portable LCD screens | X | X | $fee | X |
Power inverters | X | X | ||
Printer / multifunction devices | X | X | $fee | |
Printer Ink cartridges | X | ** see above | X | |
Printer Toner cartridges | X | ** see above | X | |
Projectors | X | X | X | |
Radar detectors | X | X | ||
Radio scanners | X | X | ||
Receivers | X | X | X | |
Recorders | X | X | ||
Remotes | X | X | ||
Robot vacuums | X | X | ||
Routers & Wifi routers | X | X | X | |
Satellite radio | X | X | ||
Satellite receivers | X | X | ||
Scanner | X | X | $fee | X |
Security systems | X | X | ||
Servers (small) | X | $fee | X | |
Shredders | X | X | X | |
SLR cameras | X | $fee | X | |
Sound cards | X | X | ||
Soundbars | X | X | ||
Speaker systems | X | X | ||
Speakers (car / small) | X | X | X | |
Surge protectors | X | X | ||
Tablets | X | X | X | |
Televisions – flat panel TVs: LCD, plasma, LED, smaller than 50” | $25 fee | |||
TiVO | X | X | X | |
Tube TVs less than 32” | $25 fee | $fee | X | |
Turntables | X | X | ||
TV antennas less than 3′ long | X | X | ||
TV converter boxes | X | X | X | |
TVs – portable TVs | $25 fee | |||
Two-way radios | X | X | ||
Vacuums – Stick, Upright, Canister | X | X | ||
VCRs | X | X | $fee | X |
Video cameras | X | X | $fee | X |
Video cards | X | |||
Video game consoles | X | X | X | |
Wall mounts (for TVs, etc) | X | X | ||
Weather stations | X | X | ||
Web cams | X | X | X | |
Wireless broadband | X | X | X |
Note that several items, such as laptops, tablets and smartphones, are eligible for the technology trade-in program.
Best Buy: There are no store drop-off fees in California. Stores in Connecticut and Pennsylvania do not accept TVs for drop-off.
Limit three items per household per day. Recycling is intended for residents only. Products from businesses and organizations, or items that present a health or safety hazard are not accepted.
In addition to this list which is recycled completely free, Best Buy also accepts other items for a fee. These include monitors, tube TVs (smaller than 32″), flat-panel TVs LCD, plasma, LED smaller than 50″ and portable TVs for a $25 charge.
Staples: Limit of seven items can be recycled per customer per day. Store management has the right to refuse to accept items that may pose a health or safety risk.
* Rechargeable batteries are accepted in Staples stores. They are handled through the Call2Recycle program.
**Staples Ink Recycling Rewards gives $2 per ink recycled ink cartridge (up to 20 per month).