Philadelphia E-Waste Disposal

Item: Electronic waste — computers, monitors and televisions, plus other computer-related equipment. Appliances, tires, batteries and fluorescent bulbs are separate streams at the same centers, not e-waste. Jurisdiction: City of Philadelphia, Department of Sanitation service area. City curbside and bulk collection cover inhabited private property that is a separate tax parcel with six units or fewer, plus qualified condominiums and co-operatives. Buildings over six units, commercial properties and any property on private collection are not served and must use a private hauler. Convenience-center drop-off is open citywide to residents with proof of residency. Seasonal household hazardous waste (HHW) events serve the five-county region. Official sources: City of Philadelphia Department of Sanitation (Find a Sanitation Convenience Center, Residential Trash and Recycling Rules, Residential Bulk Collection Program, Drop Off Household Hazardous Waste, Special Items, Recycling & Donation Finder), Pennsylvania DEP (Covered Device Recycling Act guidance, Electronics Recycling, Electronics Collection Programs), Pennsylvania General Assembly, plus one retailer page clearly labelled as retailer policy Last verified: September 2026 · Next review: December 2026

A dead laptop, a monitor that will not power on, a flat screen leaning in the hallway. Your instinct is the recycling bin or trash night. In Philadelphia, that is the worst possible place for any of it.

The City does not collect electronic waste curbside, and it does not take computers at its household hazardous waste events. Electronics go to a Sanitation Convenience Center, and for a flat-screen TV there is a second, appointment-based option. Which route works depends on your item, your address and how many units your building has. This guide covers the City of Philadelphia Department of Sanitation service area only.

Quick Answer: Philadelphia E-Waste Disposal at a Glance

E-waste never goes curbside, and it never goes to a City hazardous waste event. It goes to a Sanitation Convenience Center — no appointment, Monday–Saturday, residency proof required. A second City channel, the appointment Residential Bulk Collection Program, lists flat-screen TVs for eligible addresses of six units or fewer.

• Not curbside. City residential rules direct electronics such as computers and televisions to a sanitation convenience center, and list electronics among items not accepted in curbside trash or recycling.
• The main route is drop-off. All six Sanitation Convenience Centers accept "electronic waste, including computers, monitors, and televisions" — Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–6 p.m., closed City holidays, no appointment.
• Proof of residency is required — photo ID, plus a lease or utility bill if the ID does not show your current address.
• Gate rules: regular household items once a day, oversized items once a week; personal or commercial vehicles under 6,000 pounds total; no construction debris, contractors or commercial loads.
• A second City channel covers bulky items. The appointment Residential Bulk Collection Program lists flat-screen TVs, for residential addresses with six units or fewer.
• Two wrong doors: the trash or recycling bin, and household hazardous waste events, where computers are explicitly excluded.
• Fees. The City describes center drop-off as free — "there is no charge to drop-off materials" — but that wording comes from a news page now marked archived, so confirm it on the live service page. No fee is published for the bulk program at all.
• Not sure about a device? Call the Recycling Office at (215) 686-5444 or 311 before driving.

Quick Facts

Why E-Waste Cannot Go Curbside in Philadelphia

Philadelphia's residential trash and recycling rules state that electronic waste is not accepted for curbside collection, and the City directs computers and televisions to a sanitation convenience center. Electronics also appear among the items not accepted in curbside trash or recycling.

A state layer explains why manufacturer and county options exist alongside the City's own routes. The Covered Device Recycling Act (CDRA, Act 108 of 2010) requires manufacturers to provide recycling programs for covered devices sold to consumers in Pennsylvania — desktop and notebook computers, monitors, and peripherals such as keyboards and printers, plus televisions with a tuner and a viewable screen 4 inches or larger. That is context, not a shortcut: the City route is still fastest for most households.

If your load is a fridge, washer or AC instead, see the Philadelphia appliance disposal guide — appliances follow different rules at the same centers.

What Counts as E-Waste — and What the City Does Not List

The City's wording is short: centers accept "Electronic waste, including computers, monitors, and televisions."

That is not an exhaustive list. Printers, tablets, phones, keyboards, cables, small appliances, microwaves and smoke detectors are not confirmed as accepted. Some of them are CDRA-covered, so a manufacturer or county program may take them — a different route with different rules. For anything the City does not name, call (215) 686-5444 or 311 first.

Appliances, tires and batteries are separate streams. The same centers take universal waste (fluorescent bulbs; lithium, rechargeable and lead-acid batteries) and up to four automotive tires per day, with bulk items, large metal items, appliances and refrigerant-containing items capped at two a day. No e-waste quantity limit is published — those caps do not carry over to electronics.

The Main Route: Six Sanitation Convenience Centers

This is the route that works for almost every Philadelphia household with a computer, monitor or TV.

• Accepted: electronic waste, including computers, monitors, and televisions.
• Hours: Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–6 p.m., closed City holidays. A City news page describes expanded summer hours, so verify the hours in force.
• No appointment. Proof of residency required — photo ID, plus a lease or utility bill if the ID does not show your address.
• Visit limits: regular household items once a day, oversized items once a week.
• Vehicles under 6,000 pounds total. Construction debris, contractors and commercial loads are refused.

Confirm this list before you drive. Center names, addresses and phone numbers change, and the City updates its own pages more often than any guide does — check the current center-finder page or call 311 on the day you go.

On the fee: the City's "no charge to drop-off materials" statement is the strongest wording available, and it comes from a news page marked archived. The current service page does not restate a fee, so confirm the free status before you rely on it — and never assume the rule is the same at a private facility.

The Second Route: Appointment Residential Bulk Collection for Flat-Screen TVs

The appointment-only Residential Bulk Collection Program collects large household items and lists flat-screen TVs.

• Appointments are limited and first-come, first-serve, schedulable up to one month ahead.
• Set-out timing: items go at the normal collection point the evening before pickup — no earlier than 5 p.m. Fall/Winter or 7 p.m. Spring/Summer — and curbside by 7 a.m., marked with the 4-letter pickup code.
• Not collected: hazardous, flammable or explosive materials, auto parts, and construction and demolition materials.
• Eligible: residential households, including multi-family properties with up to six units. Commercial properties and buildings over six units must use a private hauler.

No fee is published — the program page states neither a fee nor the word "free." That is a gap, not a hidden freebie. Ask 311.

The TV overlap is real. Flat-screen TVs appear on both the bulk list and the convenience-center list, while older CRT and console TVs are not explicitly confirmed on either. Confirm the type of screen and the route with 311 before booking or hauling.

If your item is a mattress rather than a TV, bulk collection will not take it — see the Philadelphia mattress disposal guide, and for tables, sofas and other household pieces see Philadelphia furniture disposal.

Where Electronics Are NOT Accepted: City Household Hazardous Waste Events

HHW events are not an e-waste route. Computers are explicitly excluded there, because they can go to any sanitation convenience center during normal business hours.

The events are for paint, chemicals and similar materials. They run 9 a.m.–3 p.m., the City states "You do not need to register in advance," and they are open to residents of Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Businesses are excluded.

The 2026 schedule published by the City:

Re-verify that schedule before you go — the City page has carried cancellation notices, and the day's list of what is and is not accepted should be checked on the current event page rather than a cached copy. If you have both a monitor and a half-used can of paint, split the load into two trips.

Other Legitimate Routes: Manufacturer Programs, County Drop-Offs and Retailer Take-Back

CDRA manufacturer and county programs. PA DEP maintains a statewide list of electronics collection events and drop-off programs by county, and points residents to County Recycling Programs and Coordinators, a facility directory, and Earth 911. These sites may serve small businesses with fewer than 50 employees; businesses with 50 or more employees and public entities such as schools or local government offices are not covered.

Retailer take-back, where offered. The CDRA requires manufacturer programs and retailer notification, but it does not guarantee that any retailer accepts any device. Programs and item limits are store-specific and change; some items may be free and others not. Confirm at the store — never treat retailer drop-off as a guaranteed free citywide option.

Private haulers. Required for buildings over six units, properties on private collection, and commercial loads. No price is published; request a quote and ask where the material actually goes.

Which Philadelphia E-Waste Route Fits Your Situation?

Start with what you are allowed to hand over and what it costs. The second table covers who handles your data and how solid each route's details are.

For a standard household load the convenience-center drop-off is the answer: six citywide sites, no appointment, six days a week. Everything else carries a condition — the bulk program has a unit-count gate and no published fee, HHW events refuse electronics, and manufacturer, county and retailer programs have per-site terms. One call to 311 or (215) 686-5444 settles the fee question and any device the City list does not name.

Apartments, Renters and Buildings Over Six Units

Six units or fewer. Your address falls under City residential collection and is eligible for the appointment bulk program, so a flat-screen TV can go out by appointment. E-waste still goes to a convenience center.

More than six units. The building is not eligible for City curbside or bulk collection — a City bulk pickup for a TV cannot be scheduled. But the convenience-center drop-off stays open to you as an individual resident with proof of Philadelphia residency.

Your ID does not show your current address. Bring a lease or utility bill alongside it.

Condominiums and co-operatives must apply to the Department of Sanitation for City service. Confirm your building is enrolled before assuming curbside or bulk options apply.

Do not rely on building staff. No published route has a landlord or maintenance crew dispose of a resident's electronics. The resident-facing path is the center drop-off, or an appointment pickup where the address qualifies.

No car and a large TV. If your address is eligible, the bulk program avoids the trip; otherwise a private hauler is realistic. Confirm the screen type first.

Prep, Data and Safety Before Your E-Waste Leaves Home

1. Check your item list against the City's wording; for anything not named, call (215) 686-5444 or 311 first.
2. Bring photo ID, plus a lease or utility bill if the ID does not show your address.
3. For a center trip, arrive Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–6 p.m., no appointment — confirm holiday closures and current hours.
4. Vehicle under 6,000 pounds total, no commercial loads, no construction debris.
5. For bulk pickup, book ahead, mark items with the 4-letter code, and set them out the evening before and curbside by 7 a.m.
6. Wipe or remove personal data yourself. This is resident best practice, not a City requirement — Philadelphia publishes no wiping, hard-drive-removal or certified-destruction guarantee.
7. Split the load: electronics to a center, paint and chemicals to an HHW event.

Safety caveats:

• PA DEP notes that intact electronics can generally be recycled or reused, while broken or damaged devices may be considered hazardous waste requiring special handling. Philadelphia publishes no separate damaged-device procedure — confirm with the receiving facility rather than routing a smashed monitor as if it were intact.
• Do not break CRT or LCD screens, and handle cracked screens with gloves — broken tubes release hazardous material and cut skin.
• Get help lifting a CRT. These units are heavy, awkward and easy to drop on stairs.
• Keep lithium and rechargeable batteries from shorting in the load, and keep them in the universal-waste stream rather than mixed into electronics.
• Never set e-waste at the curb or beside the recycling bin to "see if it goes." It will not be collected, and it leaves personal data exposed.

Mistakes to Avoid

1. Putting a laptop, monitor or TV in the trash or the recycling bin.
2. Bringing electronics to a City HHW event, where computers are refused.
3. Booking a bulk pickup for a TV at a building over six units — not eligible.
4. Assuming the bulk program is free; no fee is published either way.
5. Quoting the center "free" wording without re-checking the live page.
6. Assuming a printer, tablet, phone, keyboard, microwave or smoke detector is accepted at a center.
7. Applying the tire cap (four a day) or the bulk and refrigerant cap (two a day) to electronics.
8. Driving to a center without confirming its current address and hours.
9. Expecting the City to wipe or destroy your data.
10. Guessing the route for a CRT or console TV.
11. Treating retailer take-back as a guaranteed free citywide service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put my old computer or TV out with the trash? No. E-waste is not accepted curbside; computers and televisions are directed to a sanitation convenience center.

Where do I take it? One of the six Sanitation Convenience Centers, Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–6 p.m., no appointment, with proof of Philadelphia residency.

Does it cost anything? The City describes center drop-off as free, but that wording is on an archived page — confirm it live. For the bulk program, no fee is published. Ask 311.

Can I get my TV picked up instead? Flat-screen TVs are listed on the appointment Residential Bulk Collection Program, open to residential addresses with six units or fewer.

I live in a big apartment building. Can I still get rid of a TV? You cannot schedule a City bulk pickup — buildings over six units are not eligible. You can still drop off e-waste at a convenience center with proof of residency, or use a private hauler.

Will they take my printer, tablet or phone? The City names computers, monitors and televisions. It does not confirm printers, tablets, phones, keyboards, cables, small appliances, microwaves or smoke detectors. Call (215) 686-5444 or 311 first.

Do I have to wipe the hard drive? Yes, yourself. No City route publishes a data-wiping requirement or a destruction guarantee.

Can I bring electronics to a hazardous waste event? No. Computers are excluded there because they can go to a convenience center instead.

What if my device is broken or cracked? PA DEP treats intact and damaged electronics differently — broken devices may be hazardous waste needing special handling. Confirm with the receiving facility first, and use gloves on cracked panels.

Is there a limit on how much e-waste I can drop off? No e-waste quantity limit is published. The center's visit limits — household items once a day, oversized items once a week — still apply at the gate.

Who do I call? Dial 311 inside Philadelphia, or the Recycling Office at (215) 686-5444, recyclingoffice@phila.gov.

Verify Before You Act

1. Confirm your item against the City's wording; for anything not named, call (215) 686-5444 or 311.
2. Confirm your address — six units or fewer, or a qualified condo or co-op, decides whether City curbside and bulk options apply. Drop-off stays open to individual residents in larger buildings.
3. Re-confirm the six center addresses and phones on the live center-finder page or via 311.
4. Re-confirm hours and holiday closures — Monday–Saturday 8 a.m.–6 p.m., and check whether seasonal hours are in force.
5. Re-verify the free status of center drop-off on the live service page.
6. Confirm residency documents — photo ID, plus a lease or utility bill if the ID does not show your address.
7. For a flat-screen TV, choose between drop-off and the bulk program, and confirm the screen type.
8. If you also have paint or chemicals, verify the current HHW schedule and any cancellation notice.
9. For manufacturer, county or retailer routes, check that site's own accepted-device list.
10. Wipe personal data from every device before it leaves your home.
11. Never use the trash, the recycling bin or an HHW event for any electronic device.

Jurisdiction and Service-Area Note

This guide covers the City of Philadelphia only. Curbside and bulk eligibility turn on the six-unit threshold, the separate-tax-parcel rule, and whether the property is on private collection. Condominiums and co-operatives must apply for City service; buildings over six units and commercial properties must use a private hauler. The CDRA is a statewide overlay, but not every Pennsylvania municipality runs the same drop-off network, and the five-county HHW region has its own eligibility rules.

Landlords, condo boards and building management may add set-out or staging rules that override this guidance. Readers outside Philadelphia should check with PA DEP and their county recycling coordinator. Verify officially before you act.

Official Sources

Checked against official City of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania DEP material dated September 9, 2026. Confirm current details before acting.

City of Philadelphia:

• Residential trash and recycling rules: https://www.phila.gov/departments/department-of-sanitation/about/rules-and-regulations/residential-trash-and-recycling-rules/
• Find a sanitation convenience center: https://www.phila.gov/services/trash-recycling-city-upkeep/find-a-sanitation-convenience-center-to-drop-off-trash-or-recycling/
• Schedule trash collection for bulky household items: https://www.phila.gov/services/trash-recycling-city-upkeep/schedule-trash-collection-for-bulky-household-items/
• Residential Bulk Collection Program: https://bulkcollection.phila.gov/
• Get a recycling bin (center list): https://www.phila.gov/services/trash-recycling-city-upkeep/get-a-recycling-bin/
• Sanitation Convenience Centers news page: https://www.phila.gov/news/department-of-streets/sanitation-convenience-centers/
• Drop off household hazardous waste: https://www.phila.gov/services/trash-recycling-city-upkeep/dispose-of-household-hazardous-waste/
• Computers not accepted at HHW events: https://www.phila.gov/2022-05-12-rid-your-home-of-household-hazardous-waste/
• Special items: https://www.phila.gov/programs/recycling-program/special-items/
• Recycling Office contact: https://www.phila.gov/recycling-donation-finder/

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania:

• PA DEP, Covered Device Recycling Act: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/waste-programs/solid-waste-programs/hazardous-waste-program/household/covered-device-recycling-act
• PA DEP, Electronics Recycling: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/waste-programs/recycling-in-pennsylvania/electronics-recycling
• PA DEP, Electronics Collection Programs: https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/waste-programs/recycling-in-pennsylvania/electronics-recycling/electronics-collection-programs
• Act 108 of 2010 text: https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/US/HTM/2010/0/0108..HTM
• PA DEP facility directory: https://recyclesearch.com/profile/padep-facility-directory

Contacts: Philadelphia 311 (dial 311 inside the city); Recycling Office (215) 686-5444, recyclingoffice@phila.gov.

Retailer policy — not a government source:

• Best Buy electronics recycling: https://www.bestbuy.com/site/services/recycling/pcmcat149900050025.c?id=pcmcat149900050025

Related guides: Philadelphia appliance disposal, Philadelphia mattress disposal, Philadelphia furniture disposal.

Hours, addresses, accepted-item lists, HHW dates and fee wording change, and some of the strongest City wording sits on pages now marked archived. Confirm your route with Philadelphia 311 or the Recycling Office at (215) 686-5444 before you load the car.