Denver Junk Removal · Resource Center
Where to Recycle Electronics in Denver
In Colorado it’s actually illegal to throw a TV or computer in the trash — so here’s where old electronics really go in Denver, what it costs (CRT TVs aren’t free), and how to wipe your data first.
Old electronics pile up fast — a dead TV, a stack of laptops, a monitor from the home office. You can’t just toss them in the bin here, and the “free recycling” you’re picturing usually doesn’t cover the one thing you most want gone: the TV. Here’s the honest map of where electronics go in Denver.
First: it’s illegal to landfill electronics in Colorado
This is the part most people don’t know. Under Colorado’s Electronic Recycling Jobs Act (SB12-133), since July 1, 2013 it has been illegal to dispose of electronics in any landfill in the state — for households and businesses.
The law puts the enforcement duty on landfills and haulers (there’s no household fine schedule), but the practical takeaway is the same: your electronics need to go to a recycler, not the trash.
Where to recycle electronics in Denver
| Where | Takes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Denver E-cycle Coupon → Blue Star Recyclers (953 Decatur St) | Computers, TVs, monitors, printers, phones | $25 city coupon offsets fees (TVs/monitors ~$0.60/lb; computers free) |
| Metech / Techno Rescue (certified recyclers) | Full e-waste + secure data destruction | Most items free; TVs/monitors may have a fee |
| Best Buy / Staples | Computers, phones, peripherals (any brand) | Free tier; TVs & monitors ~$29.99 in CO |
| Goodwill / Dell Reconnect | Computers & monitors only (no TVs) | Free |
| Same-day junk pickup | Everything, sorted to certified recyclers | Flat fee |
The free Cherry Creek recycling drop-off does NOT take electronics (single-stream and compost only), and Denver’s household hazardous waste program doesn’t take general electronics either (paint, chemicals, and batteries only). Don’t drive there with a TV. For where every household item legally goes, see our Denver household hazardous waste guide.
Got a pile of old TVs, or a whole office to clear?
The TV problem (why it’s never quite free)
Here’s the catch that trips everyone up: the free options — Goodwill, Dell Reconnect, the Best Buy and Staples free tiers — don’t take TVs. And where you can recycle a TV, it carries a fee (~$29.99 at Best Buy, or per-pound at Blue Star). That’s because old CRT (cathode-ray tube) TVs each contain about four pounds of lead in leaded glass, which is expensive to process. So a garage full of old TVs is exactly the situation where a single sorted pickup beats five separate trips.
Wipe your data before you recycle
Before anything with a hard drive leaves your house, clear your personal data. The FTC recommends removing your information so it can’t reach an identity thief, and the federal standard (NIST 800-88) is to Clear, Purge, or Destroy the drive. In practice: back up your files, sign out of your accounts, factory-reset the device, and either wipe or physically remove the drive.
For anything sensitive, use a recycler certified R2 or e-Stewards (and NAID AAA for data destruction) — these verify secure data handling and that your e-waste isn’t dumped overseas. Blue Star, Metech, and Techno Rescue all carry these credentials.
What happens to recycled electronics
At the recycler, devices are de-polluted (batteries and mercury lamps pulled), disassembled, shredded, and separated — magnets pull the steel, eddy currents separate copper and aluminum, and the circuit boards are refined to recover gold, silver, and palladium (“urban mining”). It’s worth doing: recycling one million cell phones recovers about 75 lbs of gold, 772 lbs of silver, and 35,000 lbs of copper (EPA).
Electronics recycling FAQs
Is it illegal to throw away a TV in Colorado?
Yes. Since July 1, 2013, Colorado’s Electronic Recycling Jobs Act (SB12-133) has banned TVs, computers, monitors, laptops, and printers from all state landfills, for households and businesses alike. They have to go to a recycler.
Where can I recycle electronics in Denver?
Use Denver’s E-cycle Coupon at Blue Star Recyclers (953 Decatur St), a certified recycler like Metech or Techno Rescue, retail take-back at Best Buy or Staples, or free computer recycling via Goodwill/Dell Reconnect. For a mixed pile or old TVs, a same-day junk pickup sorts it all to certified recyclers.
Where can I recycle a TV in Denver?
At Blue Star Recyclers (per-pound fee, offset by the city’s $25 coupon), a certified recycler like Metech, or Best Buy (~$29.99 fee). Note that the free options — Goodwill, Dell Reconnect, and the Staples free tier — don’t accept TVs, and CRT TVs always carry a fee.
How do you dispose of a computer?
Back up your files, sign out of your accounts, and wipe or destroy the hard drive (factory reset plus a drive wipe, per NIST 800-88). Then drop it at a certified R2 or e-Stewards recycler, or Goodwill/Dell Reconnect, which take computers and monitors for free.
Does Best Buy recycle electronics?
Yes — Best Buy takes computers, phones, cables, and most peripherals free in-store (up to three items per household per day). TVs and monitors carry a fee of about $29.99 in Colorado, and very large TVs aren’t accepted in-store.
Clearing out a lot of electronics?
Same-day pickup across the Denver metro — old TVs, computers, monitors, and the whole office or estate. We sort e-waste to certified recyclers so it’s handled right. Free quote, flat price up front.