OK, so you’ve figured out how to work that new computer or smartphone you got for Christmas. Now it’s time to make sure your old gizmos don’t end up in the landfill.
To help, the Arizona Technology Council is sponsoring free electronics recycling starting next week. And there are plenty of sites that recycle old electronics year-round.
Drop-offs begin Monday under the Tech Council’s program, which is supported by Data Doctors and Westech Recyclers. Heavy metals within electronic components, such as lead, cadmium and mercury, can pose a threat to the environment when disposed of in landfills, the Tech Council notes.
Components acceptable for drop-off include personal computers, peripherals, networking equipment, mainframes, servers, point-of-sale equipment, printers, audiovisual and telecom devices, surplus metals, wire, cable and power strips.
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Times and locations are: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at ITT Technical Institute, 1455 W. River Road; Wednesday through Friday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at Texas Instruments in the Williams Centre, 5411 S. Williams Blvd.; and Jan. 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., at Data Doctors, 625 E. Wetmore Road.
Besides such special post-holidays events, several Tucson-area agencies regularly accept used electronics. (Note: some recyclers no longer accept tube-type TVs or computer monitors, and those who do typically charge a fee for such items.)
Here’s a partial list of places that take electronics for reuse or recycling. For a complete directory with more listings, see Tucson Clean & Beautiful’s website at www.tucsoncleanandbeautiful.org
TVs, computers and other electronics
- Rise Equipment Recycling Center, 623-7162, 1134 S. Park Ave. Accepts working and nonworking computers, TVs and other electronics (cellphones are collected for reuse). There is a $10 fee for each TV set and a $2 fee for each CRT (cathode-ray tube) computer monitor donated without a computer. Rise picks up TVs and other items on the first Saturday of each month at the city of Tucson/Pima County Household Hazardous Waste Program’s east-side outreach site, 7575 E. Speedway.
- World Care, 514-1588, inside the Sam Levitz warehouse at 3430 E. 36th St. (at South Palo Verde Road). World Care does not accept tube-type TVs or computer monitors.
- Some retailers have recycling programs. Best Buy, which has five Tucson-area stores, accepts a wide variety of items for recycling, including desktop or laptop computers, TVs and rechargeable batteries, at its stores (TV size restrictions apply). Best Buy also offers pickup and hauling of larger TVs and major appliances for a fee to customers who buy replacement items at Best Buy. For a list of items Best Buy accepts, see
- The city of Tucson/Pima County Household Hazardous Waste Program accepts computers and peripheral items (no TVs or other electronics) Friday and Saturday mornings at its main site at 2440 W. Sweetwater Drive and other locations. There is no charge for city residents and residents of unincorporated Pima County. Residents of Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita are charged a $5 fee. For other locations, hours and details, see
- or call 888-6947.
- Several local businesses buy later-model used computers for refurbishment and resale, or accept older systems for recycling, including Computer Renaissance, 7254 N. Oracle Road, 888-8100 ($10 fee applies to tube TVs or monitors).
Mobile phones
- Emerge Center Against Domestic Abuse, 2545 E. Adams St. 795-8001. Accepts donations of cellphones and other items weekdays. Phones are given to domestic-violence victims for emergency use. Call or visit
- for more information.
- The American Red Cross, Southern Arizona Chapter, 2916 E. Broadway, 318-6740. Cellphones are refurbished for emergency use or recycled. Go to
- or call for drop-off locations.
- Major cellular carriers, including Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, accept old cellphones, batteries and chargers for refurbishment or recycling.
Working electronics
Several charity thrift shops, including those run by the Beacon Group, Goodwill Industries of Southern Arizona and the Salvation Army, accept working TVs and consumer electronics, with some restrictions.