Best Buy vs. Staples vs. ecoATM: Which E-Waste Recycling Option is Right for You?
Here’s a practical breakdown of each program so you can walk in prepared.
Whether you’re finally clearing out the junk drawer or upgrading your home office, knowing exactly where to go can save you a wasted trip with a trunk still full of e-waste. At RecycleOldTech.com, three names come up more than any others: Best Buy, Staples, and ecoATM.
All three are national leaders in electronics recycling, but they serve very different purposes. Here’s a practical breakdown of each program so you can walk in prepared.
1. Best Buy: The Heavy Hitter
If you’ve got a TV, a stack of old laptops, or a pile of tangled cables, Best Buy is your best bet. It’s one of the few national retailers with the infrastructure to handle large-format items, and their program covers an impressively wide range of consumer electronics.
What they accept: Nearly everything residential, including laptops, desktops, tablets, cameras, cables, ink cartridges, printers, scanners, gaming consoles, and small household electronics like shredders and voice recorders. The one catch: the program is for residential customers only, not businesses.
The TV and monitor situation: Best Buy accepts flat-panel TVs and monitors under 50 inches, and CRT (tube) TVs up to 31 inches. There is a recycling fee of around $25 per unit to cover the specialized environmental handling required for glass and mercury components. A few state exceptions apply: California has no drop-off fee, while Pennsylvania and Connecticut don’t accept TV drop-offs in-store at all.
Cost: Most small electronics are free to drop off. The $25 fee applies specifically to TVs and some monitors.
The daily limit: There’s a limit of three items per household per day. If you have a bigger haul, either plan multiple trips or look into Best Buy’s Haul-Away service, which picks up large items from your home when you’re purchasing a replacement through Best Buy.
Bonus tip: Best Buy quietly launched a mail-in recycling program as well. You can order a prepaid recycling box from their website, fill it with smaller electronics, and ship it back without ever leaving home. A small box runs about $22.99 and holds up to six pounds.
2. Staples: The Office Recycler That Pays You
Staples has been running a free electronics recycling program since 2012, and they’ve since made it even more appealing by adding real rewards for members. It’s the go-to option for office-oriented devices and anyone who recycles regularly.
What they accept: Computers, laptops, tablets, monitors, printers, scanners, keyboards, cables, smartphones, digital cameras, and all types of batteries, including alkaline and rechargeable. You can bring up to seven items per visit.
Cost: Completely free. Staples does not charge fees for monitors or printers, which gives them a leg up over Best Buy for certain items.
The rewards perk: Staples Rewards members earn $5 back (as a rewards certificate) every time they recycle or shred in-store, plus $2 back for each recycled ink or toner cartridge. If you’re already a Rewards member, this is one of the easiest ways to offset your office supply spending.
What they won’t take: Televisions. Full stop. If you walk in with a TV, you’ll be pointed toward Best Buy or a local drop-off event. Staples also won’t accept large appliances, air conditioners, smoke detectors, or anything with scissors or blades.
3. ecoATM: The Instant Cash Kiosk
ecoATM is a completely different experience from the other two. It’s not a recycling drop-off program, it’s a self-service kiosk that evaluates your mobile device on the spot and either pays you cash or accepts it for responsible recycling at no cost.
What they accept: Smartphones, tablets, and MP3 players. That’s it. These kiosks are designed specifically for handheld mobile devices.
How it works: You insert your device into the kiosk, which uses cameras and sensors to assess the model and condition. It then makes you an offer. If you accept, you walk away with cash or digital payment immediately. If your device is broken or too old to have resale value, ecoATM will still take it for recycling at no charge, though you may not receive anything in return.
What to bring: A valid, government-issued photo ID. ecoATM scans IDs in real time as a theft deterrent, and you must be at least 18 years old to use the kiosk.
What not to bring: Laptops, printers, TVs, or anything that isn’t a mobile device. The kiosks aren’t set up for anything outside that narrow category.
You can find ecoATM kiosks inside Walmart, Kroger, and other major retailers. Use the ecoATM locator to find the nearest one.
Quick Reference: Where Should You Go?
| What you have | Where to go |
|---|---|
| TV or monitor | Best Buy |
| Old laptop or desktop | Best Buy or Staples |
| Printer, scanner, or shredder | Staples (free, no fee) |
| Batteries | Staples |
| Smartphone or tablet (want cash) | ecoATM |
| Smartphone or tablet (just recycling) | Any of the three |
| Cables and accessories | Best Buy |
| Ink or toner cartridges | Staples (earn $2 per cartridge) |
One Thing You Should Always Do First
No matter where you end up, do a factory reset on your devices before dropping them off. This wipes your personal accounts, photos, passwords, and stored data before the device changes hands. It takes about five minutes and is worth doing every single time.
For phones, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset (iPhone) or Settings > General Management > Reset (Android). For laptops, use the built-in reset option in your operating system settings.
Responsible recycling is about more than just the environment. Your data security matters too.
Looking for a drop-off location near you? Use the RecycleOldTech.com directory to find certified electronics recyclers in your area.