Item: E-waste — covered electronic equipment (computers and peripherals, TVs and video equipment, portable devices, home electronics and game consoles) Jurisdiction: New York City — all five boroughs; state overlay: NYS Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act (ECL Article 27 Title 26) Official sources: NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY), NYC311, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) Last verified: September 2026 · Next review: December 2026
Quick answer
There is no shortage of ways to get rid of electronics in New York City — there are four free routes. The difficulty is that each one is gated by something you cannot see from the outside: your building's unit count, whether the building is enrolled in a programme, whether the item is on the state's covered list at all, and whether you are a resident or a business. A dead flatscreen and a dead microwave sitting on the same hallway floor have different correct answers.
For a residential address in the five boroughs:
- Electronics cannot go in the trash or recycling, and cannot be set out for disposal. Under the state's Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act (ECL Article 27 Title 26), e-waste may not be placed out for collection intended for disposal. The ban dates from January 2015, and the DSNY e-cycleNYC brochure states a fine of up to $100 per offense.
- Every residential route is free. Charges exist only for premium services and for larger organisations.
- Four routes cover almost everyone: DSNY Special Waste Drop-Off sites in all five boroughs (Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM), DSNY SAFE Disposal Events (annual, all boroughs, rotating dates), ecycleNYC if your building has 10 or more residential units, and retail, nonprofit or manufacturer takeback.
- Individual curbside e-waste pickup is not among the options DSNY currently lists for residents. Do not wait at the kerb for a household pickup.
- Cords, cables and wiring must travel with the device, and you should erase your own data first — wiping done for you is a premium service that may be charged.
- Not everything with a plug is e-waste. Microwaves, refrigerators, most electronic household appliances, cameras, radios, calculators, GPS units, power tools, medical equipment and batteries follow different rules.
Quick facts
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Can electronics go in the trash or recycling? | No — e-waste may not be placed out for disposal |
| What is the fine? | Up to $100 per offense per the DSNY e-cycleNYC brochure — confirm current wording on DSNY's enforcement pages |
| Does it cost anything to recycle e-waste in NYC? | No — every residential route is free; charges apply only to premium services and larger organisations |
| Where can I drop off? | DSNY Special Waste Drop-Off sites in all five boroughs, Tuesday–Saturday 9:00 AM–3:00 PM |
| Is there a seasonal event? | Yes — DSNY SAFE Disposal Events, every year in all five boroughs, rotating dates |
| What if I live in an apartment building? | Buildings with 10 or more residential units can enrol free in ecycleNYC |
| Can I book a household pickup? | Not listed among current DSNY resident options — do not plan around one |
| Do cords go with the device? | Yes — all cords, cables and wiring travel with the device |
| Who erases the data? | You should, first; data wiping is a premium service that may be charged |
| Do batteries go with electronics? | No — batteries are a separate stream and are never accepted as e-waste |
Why e-waste cannot go in the trash — and what the fine is
The state treats discarded electronics as a separate waste stream because of what is inside them: leaded glass in older screens, mercury switches, cadmium, brominated flame retardants and lithium batteries. Two rules matter. E-waste may not be disposed of at solid or hazardous waste management facilities, and — the part a curbside habit breaks — it may not be placed out for collection intended for disposal. An old monitor put out with the rubbish is not "getting recycled anyway"; it is the prohibited act.
DSNY's e-cycleNYC brochure states a fine of up to $100 per offense. That figure comes from the brochure rather than a current published enforcement schedule, so treat it as the documented order of magnitude and check DSNY's own enforcement pages before quoting it as current. The premise is still a fine-bearing rule, not a preference.
What counts as covered e-waste — and what does not
Covered: computers (desktop towers, laptops, small-scale servers); computer peripherals (monitors, keyboards and mice, printers, scanners, fax machines, external hard drives); TV and video equipment (televisions, VCRs, DVD and DVR units, cable boxes and satellite receivers, cathode ray tubes); portable devices (cell phones, tablets, e-readers, portable music players); and home electronics (game consoles including handhelds, VR headsets with processors, digital picture frames).
Not covered: most electronic household appliances such as microwaves and refrigerators, digital cameras, radios, calculators, GPS devices, power tools, medical equipment, and batteries. These are not automatically fine for the rubbish either — several carry their own special disposal rules — but they must not be routed through an e-waste channel. A microwave handed to a drop-off attendant as e-waste is a rejected load.
That exclusion list explains most confusion at drop-off, and it means a mixed cleanout is two errands, not one. Check each item against the state's covered electronic equipment list before you pack the car.
Free drop-off: DSNY Special Waste Drop-Off sites in all five boroughs
This is the route most households should default to. DSNY runs one site per borough, open to NYC residents, and e-waste is accepted including all cords, cables and wiring that go with the devices.
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM. Closed on legal holidays and during severe weather.
| Borough | Location |
|---|---|
| Bronx | Hunts Point — Farragut Street and the East River, next to the Fulton Fish Market; enter on Farragut Street off Food Center Drive |
| Brooklyn | Greenpoint — 459 North Henry Street; entrance off Kingsland Avenue north of Greenpoint Avenue |
| Manhattan | Lower East Side / Two Bridges — 74 Pike Slip, between Cherry Street and South Street, under the Manhattan Bridge |
| Queens | College Point — 30th Avenue between 120th and 122nd Streets, northwest corner of the DSNY Queens District 7 garage |
| Staten Island | Fresh Kills — off the Muldoon Avenue exit of the southbound West Shore Expressway, past the DSNY security booth |
The sites are residents-only: businesses and commercial vehicles are turned away, and staff may ask for proof of NYC residency such as a New York State driver licence or a utility bill. Drop-off is do-it-yourself, with DSNY staff available to tell you where things go. Re-confirm hours before travelling, especially around holidays and after a storm.
SAFE Disposal Events: seasonal drop-off in every borough
SAFE Disposal Events are DSNY's recurring borough events, held every year in all five boroughs on a rotating seasonal schedule. They accept e-waste — computers and accessories, televisions and video equipment, cell phones, tablets, e-readers, video game consoles, and all accompanying cords, cables and wiring — from residents only, with proof of residency possibly requested.
Two limits matter. The events do not accept plug-in appliances such as microwaves, vacuum cleaners and box fans, nor appliances containing CFCs. And because the schedule rotates, any date you saw in an older article is probably wrong for this year. Check the current DSNY SAFE Disposal Events page rather than trusting a printed date, including any in this guide. Electronics collected at these events are recycled or refurbished for reuse through Electronic Recyclers International (ERI).
ecycleNYC: the free in-building route for apartment buildings
If you live in a building with 10 or more residential units, you may already have a permanent free e-waste channel that nobody mentioned.
ecycleNYC is a DSNY service run with Electronic Recyclers International. Qualifying buildings get either a secure collection bin or an arrangement to hold items in an internal storage area for pickup, at no cost to the building or taxpayers because manufacturers fund the programme.
| Building size | What the building gets |
|---|---|
| 10+ units | Electronics stored in a secure enclosed area before collection |
| 100+ units | Storage bins provided — small 2 ft deep × 4 ft wide × 5 ft high; large 2 ft deep × 5.5 ft wide × 6 ft high |
| 250+ units | Outdoor recycling events can be scheduled with building management |
Trigger and timing: when a bin is full or 20 items have been collected, the building requests pickup. For buildings already enrolled, pickup is guaranteed within 5 business days — a guarantee that belongs to enrolled buildings, not to individual households.
Who can enrol: buildings, management companies and residents can all apply through the online form. If your building is not enrolled, you do not have to wait for someone else to raise it.
What the bin takes: covered e-waste only. Household appliances, batteries and light bulbs are not accepted. Per the DSNY brochure, data on electronics collected through ecycleNYC is fully erased during recycling, but DSNY still tells residents to erase sensitive data themselves first.
Retail, nonprofit and manufacturer takeback — free under state law
State law requires manufacturers of covered electronic equipment to provide free and convenient recycling to most consumers: individuals, for-profit businesses with fewer than 50 full-time employees, not-for-profits with fewer than 75 FTE (including 501(c)(3) organisations), schools, and government entities in New York State. For-profit businesses with 50 or more FTE and nonprofits with 75 or more FTE may be charged.
Manufacturers deliver this through fixed drop-off locations at retail stores, nonprofits and municipal facilities, through free mail-back programmes where the manufacturer covers shipping and packaging, and through collection events. Programme partners at collection sites may not charge consumers for standard acceptance — charges are allowed only for business consumers and premium services. One nuance worth knowing: a retail site that cannot accept every type of e-waste may still be a legitimate partner if it takes the same type of covered equipment it sells.
Phones have a separate, stronger rule. Under the state's Wireless Telephone Recycling Act, wireless telephone service suppliers that sell wireless phones must accept up to 10 cell phones free from any person, or provide free shipping to a recycling programme. A neighbourhood store that sells service plans is the easiest route for old handsets.
Call ahead — this is DSNY's advice. Per-site hours, accepted brands and accepted device types are not published as consistent structured data and vary from site to site. Do not assume a shop takes your model or brand because it takes e-waste generally. DSNY also lists Community E-Waste Events among resident options; these do not run on a fixed published calendar, so check the DSNY electronics page for current dates.
Working devices: NYC311 points residents to donateNYC to find donation locations. Acceptance criteria, pickup terms and coverage differ by organisation, so confirm each organisation's own page before you load the car.
Which NYC e-waste route fits your situation?
| Route | Who it fits | Cost | Appointment | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ecycleNYC in-building | 10+ unit residential buildings, enrolled | Free | No — pickup requested when full | Covered e-waste only; no appliances, batteries or bulbs |
| Special Waste Drop-Off site | Any NYC resident, including small buildings and houses | Free | No — Tue–Sat, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM | Residents only; no commercial vehicles; proof of residency may be requested |
| SAFE Disposal Event | Any NYC resident who can wait for the next borough date | Free | No — rotating seasonal schedule | No plug-in or CFC appliances |
| Retail or nonprofit drop-off | Anyone near a participating site | Free for standard acceptance | No — but call ahead | Accepted types and brands vary per site |
| Manufacturer takeback | Individuals and small organisations | Free for eligible consumers; mail-back shipping covered | No | Check the NYSDEC registered-manufacturer list |
| Cell phone channel | Anyone with old phones | Free | No — up to 10 phones per person | Erase the phone first |
| Donation / reuse (donateNYC) | Working devices only | Terms vary by organisation — check each one | Usually direct with the organisation | Acceptance criteria vary |
| Private recycler or hauler | Businesses with 50+ FTE, nonprofits with 75+ FTE, large cleanouts | No published rates — request quotes | Yes | Ask how data destruction is certified |
| Household curbside pickup | Not a confirmed resident option | Not applicable | Not applicable | Do not plan around it |
Apartment and renter edge cases
10+ units: ask the building manager first — the building may already be enrolled and have a bin you have never seen. If it is not enrolled, residents can apply, not just management. Once items are in the building's storage area or bin, building staff request pickup, and the 5-business-day guarantee runs from that request.
Fewer than 10 units, or a house: ecycleNYC is not available. Your routes are a Special Waste Drop-Off site, a SAFE event, a retail or nonprofit drop-off, or manufacturer takeback and mail-back.
Renters are responsible for their own electronics. Under NYC311 guidance, tenants must appropriately discard their own electronics; it is not the landlord's responsibility to take or mail items back for reuse or recycling. Building policies may control where you may leave items, but they do not move the obligation off you — and items left on private property are not part of any curbside collection, so never park electronics in a lobby or courtyard expecting the super to deal with it.
Wait-and-see is the wrong strategy. Because household curbside e-waste pickup is not listed among DSNY's current resident options, a renter who leaves a television in the hallway expecting a truck will probably leave it there indefinitely.
Prep and safety before your electronics leave the building
Erase your own data first. Factory-reset phones, tablets and computers; sign out of accounts; remove SIM and memory cards; and if a device will not power on, remove or physically destroy the drive before handing it over. If you would rather have wiping done for you, note the cost boundary: state rules classify data wiping as a premium service, which a consumer may be charged for. Free collection and certified data destruction are not the same promise.
Bring every cord, cable and wire that belongs to the device. This is required at Special Waste Drop-Off sites, SAFE events and ecycleNYC, and it is a common reason a drop-off goes wrong.
Keep batteries out of the electronics. Batteries are not e-waste and are not accepted in ecycleNYC bins. Rechargeable batteries are handled separately — bagged individually or with terminals covered in clear tape — and should never be tucked into a laptop bag for someone else to find.
Package for transport. For SAFE events, package items safely, do not mix product types in one container, and keep containers sealed.
Do not add e-waste to bulk set-outs. If your building has a bulk pile at the kerb, adding a printer to it does not route it anywhere legitimate.
Handle the items safely. Do not crush, puncture or compact anything containing a lithium battery. Treat old CRT televisions and monitors as heavy and fragile — they are often 50 pounds or more and the glass can break in transit.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming "anything with a plug" is e-waste. The list is closed.
- Putting e-waste out with trash, recycling or a bulk pile — that is the banned act.
- Waiting for a household curbside pickup that is not a confirmed resident option.
- Assuming your building is not covered, or that the 5-business-day building guarantee applies to your apartment.
- Assuming every drop-off takes every device, or that certified wiping is included free.
- Leaving the cords behind, or assuming a microwave can ride along with a laptop.
Official verification checklist
- Check each item against the state's covered electronic equipment list and set aside anything excluded.
- If your building has 10 or more units, ask whether it is enrolled in ecycleNYC. If not, apply online — buildings, management companies and residents can all apply.
- Otherwise pick a Special Waste Drop-Off site and re-confirm Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00 AM–3:00 PM, plus holiday and severe-weather closures.
- Or check the DSNY SAFE Disposal Events page for the current seasonal date near you.
- For a retail or nonprofit drop-off, call ahead to confirm the site is open and accepts your device type or brand.
- For brand-specific takeback or mail-back, look the manufacturer up on the NYSDEC registered-manufacturer list.
- Erase your data, pack all cords, cables and wiring with the device, and verify current fine wording on DSNY enforcement pages before quoting a figure.
- Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) with route questions, and report a non-compliant manufacturer or retailer to NYSDEC online or at (518) 402-8706.
- If you are a business, a nonprofit above 75 FTE, a commercial building or a school, stop here. Residential channels are not open to you: larger organisations must hire an electronic waste recycler, and NYC Department of Education schools follow separate guidance through WasteSupport@schools.nyc.gov.
Jurisdiction note: this covers New York City's five boroughs, with the New York State Electronic Equipment Recycling and Reuse Act as the state overlay. Buildings outside DSNY's service area, other New York State municipalities and neighbouring states run different programmes — check the authority where the item actually is. Building management, landlords, and co-op or condo boards may also impose stricter staging rules, so confirm with building management before leaving electronics anywhere.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put electronics in the trash or recycling in NYC? No. Covered e-waste may not be placed out for disposal and is not accepted in either stream. Use a drop-off site, a SAFE event, ecycleNYC if your building qualifies, or takeback.
What is the fine? The DSNY e-cycleNYC brochure states up to $100 per offense. Check DSNY's current enforcement pages if you need the number stated as current.
Can I schedule a curbside e-waste pickup for my apartment? It is not among the resident options DSNY currently lists, so do not plan around one.
My building has 10 units. How do I get ecycleNYC? Apply through the online enrolment form — buildings, management companies and residents can all apply. Once enrolled, the building requests pickup when the bin is full or 20 items are collected, guaranteed within 5 business days.
Can I take my old microwave to a drop-off site or SAFE event? Not as e-waste. Microwaves and most electronic household appliances are excluded from the covered list, and SAFE events do not accept plug-in appliances at all. Batteries are a separate stream again and are not accepted in ecycleNYC bins.
Who wipes the data? You should, and DSNY tells residents to erase sensitive data before recycling. Data wiping is a premium service, so a paid wipe may exist but free collection does not include certified destruction.
Is e-waste recycling in NYC really free? Yes, for residents. Special Waste Drop-Off sites, SAFE events and ecycleNYC are free, and manufacturers must provide free and convenient recycling to individuals and small organisations under state law. You may be charged only for premium services, or if you are a larger organisation.
What about old cell phones? Businesses that sell wireless service plans must accept up to 10 phones free from any person, or provide free shipping to a recycling programme. Erase the phone first. Ask about a phone at the same store that sells you a plan, not a general e-waste drop-off.
Where does a working laptop or TV go instead of recycling? NYC311 points to donateNYC for donation locations. Only working, reusable devices are wanted, and each organisation sets its own acceptance criteria — confirm before you travel.
I run a business with more than 50 employees. Can I use these routes? No. Businesses with 50 or more full-time employees and nonprofits with 75 or more FTE are outside the free residential and small-organisation channels and must hire an electronic waste recycler.
Sources
- DSNY — Electronics & E-Waste: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/get-rid-of/electronics.page
- DSNY — Special Waste Drop-Off: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/what-we-do/programs/special-waste-drop-off.page
- DSNY — SAFE Disposal Events: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/what-we-do/programs/safe-disposal-events.page
- DSNY — ecycleNYC: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/what-we-do/programs/ecyclenyc.page
- NYC311 — Electronics Disposal (KA-02385): https://portal.311.nyc.gov/article/?kanumber=KA-02385
- DSNY — E-Waste Drop-Off Sites: https://www.nyc.gov/site/dsny/collection/get-rid-of/e-waste-drop-off-sites.page
- NYSDEC — Electronic Waste Recycling: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/65583.html
- NYSDEC — Covered Electronic Equipment list: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/66872.html
- NYSDEC — Registered manufacturers and acceptance programmes: https://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/82084.html
- NYSDEC — Recycling consumer electronic waste (free eligibility and premium services): https://dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/recycling-composting/electronic-waste-recycling/recycling-consumer-electronic-waste
- DSNY — e-cycleNYC brochure (PDF; January 2015 ban, fine figure, data erasure): https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dsny/docs/e-cyclenyc-brochure-ec-bro-f.pdf
- NYSDEC — Part 360 final impact statement (ECL 27-2611 disposal ban): https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/part360finalris.pdf
- NYSDEC — Part 368 express terms (collection site requirements): https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/part368adoptexpressterms.pdf
Related reading: E-waste disposal item guide, TV and electronics disposal, appliance disposal, lithium battery disposal, and the full disposal guide index.
Sources checked 9 September 2026; next review 9 December 2026. DSNY, NYC311 and NYSDEC pages are the final authority for e-waste rules, eligibility and current schedules. Hours, event dates, site acceptance and enforcement wording change — confirm details on the live official pages, or call 311 (212-639-9675), before you load the car.