Computer disposal and recycling service

Computers play a huge role in modern life. As technology continues to advance, consumers are replacing their laptops, computers, and tablets much more often.

But when it’s time to upgrade, how do you handle computer recycling or disposal? Laptops and desktop computers are made from electrical components, plastics, glass, and chemicals, that can harm the environment if not properly thrown away. Unfortunately, many waste management companies do not accept electronics with their regular trash collection. This is where 1-800-GOT-JUNK? can help!

The types of computers and monitors we take:

  • Laptops And Notebooks
  • Desktop Computers
  • Monitors & Displays
  • Tablets
  • Mini-Computers
  • Workstations
  • Rack-Mount Or Blade Servers
  • Personal Computers
  • Flat Screens
  • CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) Displays
  • LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) Screens
  • LED (Light-Emitting Diodes) Displays
  • Plasma Screens
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Customer points at junk to be removed by two 1-800-GOT-JUNK? team members

How our service works:

  1. Schedule your appointment online or by calling 1-800-468-5865.
  2. Our truck team will call you 15-30 minutes before your scheduled appointment window to let you know what time we’ll arrive.
  3. We'll take a look at the items you want to be removed and give you an all-inclusive price.
  4. We'll remove your items, sweep up the area, and collect payment once we’re done.

Getting rid of your laptop or old computer

Whether it’s a small monitor from your home or a bigger load of old computers from an office or school, 1-800-GOT-JUNK? can handle it. We’ll do all the loading, recycle the recyclables, and donate the donatables.

Computer monitor recycling and removal

Did you know that many monitors, displays & screens contain chemicals that can harm our health and the environment if they’re not disposed of properly? That’s why it’s so important to make sure these items don’t just end up in the trash. Please read our guide on how and where to dispose old computers and laptops.

Safe computer monitor disposal services from 1-800-GOT-JUNK?

If you’ve got old screens, displays, or computer monitors you need to get rid of, let 1-800-GOT-JUNK? help you out! We make it easy to dispose of your unwanted monitors. Just show us what you want to get rid of and we’ll take care of the rest. We try to ensure everything gets recycled or properly disposed of, so you don’t have to worry about it.

Computer disposal FAQs

When it's time to get rid of your old computer, you may be wondering the best way to do it. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has specific guidelines for consumer computer disposal. Ideally, old computers should be reused or donated first, recycled next, and then disposed of as a last resort.

Here’s how you can handle computer or laptop disposal:

  1. Back up any important data you want to keep in a cloud or on a flashdrive.
  2. De-authorize any programs you need an account or license to run.
  3. Remove any sensitive data, such as bank statements or tax returns, with a data removal program.
  4. Delete your browsing history.
  5. Consult with your employers about any company data disposal policies.
  6. Uninstall your programs, such as Microsoft Office or ecommerce programs that may save your personal information.
  7. Complete a full factory reset on your computer to delete any saved preferences.
  8. If the computer is unusable, consider removing your hard drive and destroying it by hand or with a tool such as a hammer or drill. Ensure you are using any necessary safety precautions when destroying electronics.
  9. Once your computer is free of personal files, consider what your best options are for getting rid of it.
  10. If you choose to sell it, advertise online or take it in to a computer retailer to find out about trade-in options.
  11. If your computer still works, consider donating it to family, friends, or any computer-based charities in your area.
  12. If you choose to recycle your laptop, reach out to your local electronics recycler and ask about drop-off policies.
  13. As a last resort, throw your old laptop away with your garbage. However, be aware that throwing computers into local landfills is not legal in every city.
  14. If you’re still unsure of how to get rid of your old computer, call 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. We’re happy to help make properly disposing your items easy, all you have to do is point!

No matter how you decide to handle your PC disposal, be aware of the potential hazards throwing your old computers into the garbage can cause.

Recycling old computers, laptops, and other personal electronic devices involves breaking the items down and reusing their recyclable materials, such as metals, plastics, and electrical components, to create new, valuable products.

Computers are made from a variety of valuable sources, such as:

  • Copper
  • Aluminum
  • Lead
  • Gold
  • Silicon
  • Tin
  • Iron
  • Cadmium
  • Plastic
  • Palladium

Many of these materials can be melted down and reused over and over again without altering their properties. To ensure these items get properly recycled and don’t end up in the landfill, you’ll need to take these items directly to the recycling facility.

Throwing personal electronic devices such as computers, laptops, and tablets into landfills and dumps can cause irreparable harm to the environment. There’s a small chance that the e-waste you throw in the garbage will be separated and recycled properly, and an even smaller chance that someone might salvage it before it gets collected.

Once it ends up in the landfill, it may sit there for years. The toxic metals and flame retardants contained inside can slowly leak out, damaging the soil and local water supply. As the metal and plastics that form the computer do not break down naturally, the computer will continue to burden the surrounding area by taking up valuable space in the landfill.

To ensure this doesn’t happen, you’ll need to make sure it goes directly to a recycling facility.

The recycling facility will then use mechanical shredding and a high-tech separation device to take out the usable metals. Plastics and other materials will also be separated out and reused where possible.

Recycling e-waste helps prevent harmful materials from negatively affecting the environment. Proper computer disposal can keep old plastic and metal devices out of landfills and reduce the need to use non-renewable, raw materials to create new products. This means using less energy, less financial resources, and having less of an impact on areas that would be mined and destroyed.

Many computers contain harmful materials that can cause damage to the environment if not handled properly. These materials include:

  • Mercury
  • Lithium-ion
  • Lead
  • Dioxins
  • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
  • Chromium
  • Radioactive isotopes
  • Cadmium

Because of the potential danger leaving these materials in landfills can cause, many local dumps will not accept old computers. You may also find yourself facing fines if you put your old computers out with the trash. Skip the hassle of this by calling 1-800-GOT-JUNK? to take care of it for you!

Computers are made of a variety of components that can be reused, whole or broken, and recycled to create new products. Some of these components include power cords, motherboards, hard drives, RAM, graphic cards, keyboards, aluminum casing, and disk drives.

Computers are made of a variety of components that can be reused, whole or broken, and recycled to create new products. Some of these components include power cords, motherboards, hard drives, RAM, graphic cards, keyboards, aluminum casing, and disk drives.

Getting rid of an old computer can be harmful to the environment if not handled properly. If the device still works, here are some other useful things you can do instead of throwing it out:

  • Donate unwanted laptops and tablets to local schools, charities, or other nonprofit organizations.
  • Recycle it at a local recycling facility.
  • Scrap it for parts.
  • Gift it to a friend or family member.
  • Use it for gaming.
  • Set it up in the living room as a communal computer.
  • Sell it online or to a friend.
  • Use it as an experimental computer.
  • Convert your old computer into a home server or network-attached storage unit.

Just because your computer is old, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value. There are a ton of ways to make use of your old computer - and most of them keep e-waste out of landfills.

If you have an old PC monitor that doesn’t work, you may be wondering what to do with it. Computer screens contain materials such as lead, metals, and other chemicals that can damage the environment. Therefore, they do not belong in the trash.

Here’s how you can responsibly get rid of your old computer monitor:

  1. Unplug your monitor for safety and clean it with paper towels and rubbing alcohol.
  2. Reach out to local computer retailers and ask out about trade-in, second hand buying, or recycling programs.
  3. If you want to make a few dollars, advertise your old monitor online to potential local buyers.
  4. If you can’t recycle, trade in, or sell your old monitor, contact local thrift stores and electronics charities to ask about acceptable donations.
  5. When you’re ready to drop your monitor off, place it in your vehicle face down on top of a blanket or towel to protect the screen.

Computer monitor recycling is especially important because monitors contain harmful chemicals like lead, cadmium, and mercury. When monitors are crushed in landfills, these chemicals are released into the air and water, and have been linked to serious respiratory and neuropsychological disorders. Most trash haulers won’t pick up old monitors or computers for these reasons.

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