Denver Junk Removal · Resource Center
Where to Recycle a Computer or Monitor in Denver
Old computers are one of the few electronics you can usually recycle for free in Denver — the catch is your data. Here’s where to take a desktop, laptop, or monitor, and how to wipe it safely first.
A dead laptop, a stack of old desktops from the office, a monitor from the closet — you can’t toss any of them in the trash in Colorado, but the good news is computers are cheap or free to recycle here. The part that actually matters is clearing your personal data before they go. Here’s the full map.
First: it’s illegal to landfill computers in Colorado
Under Colorado’s Electronic Recycling Jobs Act (SB12-133), computers, laptops, monitors, and printers have been banned from state landfills since 2013. So a computer can’t go to the curb — it has to be recycled. Fortunately, most of the options below are free.
Where to recycle a computer in Denver
| Where | Takes | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Goodwill / Dell Reconnect | Computers & monitors (no TVs) | Free |
| Best Buy / Staples | Computers, laptops, peripherals | Free (up to 3 items/day) |
| Denver E-cycle Coupon → Blue Star Recyclers | Computers, monitors, all e-waste | Computers free; monitors per-lb, offset by $25 coupon |
| Certified recycler (Metech, Techno Rescue) | Full e-waste + secure data destruction | Most items free |
| Same-day junk pickup | Everything, sorted to recyclers | Flat fee |
Desktops and laptops are usually free, but monitors — especially old CRT tube monitors — sometimes carry a small per-pound fee at recyclers, or ~$29.99 at Best Buy, because of the leaded glass. Goodwill/Dell Reconnect takes computer monitors free, so that’s often the cheapest route for a monitor.
A whole office or estate of old computers to clear?
Wipe your data before you recycle — this is the important part
A recycled computer is worthless to a thief only if the data is gone. Before any device with a hard drive leaves your house:
- Back up anything you want to keep.
- Sign out of your accounts (email, cloud, browser) and deauthorize software.
- Factory-reset the device, then wipe or physically remove the drive. The federal standard (NIST 800-88) is to Clear, Purge, or Destroy the drive.
Use a recycler certified R2 or e-Stewards (and NAID AAA for data destruction). These verify your data is handled securely and that your e-waste isn’t dumped overseas. Blue Star, Metech, and Techno Rescue all carry these credentials.
What happens to a recycled computer
At the recycler, the device is de-polluted (batteries pulled), shredded, and separated — magnets recover the steel, eddy currents separate the copper and aluminum, and the circuit boards are refined to recover gold, silver, and palladium. It’s real “urban mining”: recycling one million laptops recovers enough materials to power thousands of homes for a year (EPA). Keeping computers out of the landfill genuinely matters.
Clearing out a lot of them
Dropping off one laptop is easy. But an office refresh, a home full of old towers and monitors, or an estate can be a carload of trips. We do same-day electronics pickup across the Denver metro, sort everything to certified recyclers, and can point you to secure data-destruction if you need a certificate for a business.
Computer recycling FAQs
Where can I recycle a computer for free in Denver?
Goodwill/Dell Reconnect and Best Buy/Staples take computers and laptops free (Best Buy up to three items per day). Blue Star Recyclers takes computers free too, and the city’s $25 E-cycle coupon offsets any monitor fees.
Is it illegal to throw away a computer in Colorado?
Yes. Since 2013, Colorado’s SB12-133 has banned computers, laptops, monitors, and printers from all state landfills, for households and businesses. They have to be recycled.
How do I wipe a computer before recycling it?
Back up your files, sign out of your accounts, and factory-reset the device, then wipe or physically remove the hard drive (the NIST 800-88 standard is to Clear, Purge, or Destroy it). For sensitive data, use an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.
Does recycling a monitor cost money?
Sometimes — monitors, especially old CRT ones, can carry a small per-pound fee or ~$29.99 at Best Buy because of the leaded glass. Goodwill/Dell Reconnect takes computer monitors free, which is usually the cheapest option.
Can you pick up old computers from my office?
Yes — we do same-day pickups of desktops, laptops, monitors, servers, and peripherals across the Denver metro, sort them to certified recyclers, and can arrange secure data destruction with a certificate if your business needs one.
Clearing out old computers?
Same-day pickup across the Denver metro — desktops, laptops, monitors, and whole offices. We sort e-waste to certified recyclers and can point you to secure data destruction. Free quote, flat price up front.