Where can I dispose of electronic waste in Massachusetts?

Ever wondered what on earth to do with your iPhone from 2012, or that laptop that’s been sitting in your junk drawer for years? If you live in Massachusetts, there are a variety of options for what to do with these old devices besides letting them collect dust for all eternity. Here’s what you need to know to dispose of your electronic waste properly.

You can’t throw electronic waste in the regular trash or recycling.

Despite the dangers posed by e-waste, many people don’t know that your electronics can’t be thrown away in your regular trash. In fact, the 2000 Massachusetts Waste Bans outlawed the disposal of CRTs (Cathode Ray Tubes), which are often found in old TVs and monitors. Instead, these electronics must be disposed of at approved recycling facilities. 

It’s a bad idea to put any electronics in the trash, even if the state hasn’t specifically banned certain devices within regular waste. Electronic waste often contains hazardous materials such as lead and mercury, which can pollute our land, air and even our drinking water if not disposed of properly. The batteries in electronic devices can also cause fires. 

Luckily, there are several options for managing old phones, laptops, and other electronic waste responsibly. Here’s how you can dispose of your old electronics in Massachusetts, and what you can do instead.

Option 1: Sell or donate your old electronics 

Though tech companies churn out new devices annually, older devices don’t necessarily have to go to waste. If your old device is still working, you can trade it in to retailers like Gazelle or Back Market for credit or cash. Thrift stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army often accept old devices. You can also donate computers, phones, equipment and more to Compudopt.

There are also a variety of charities in Massachusetts that accept old devices. The Boston Chapter of World Computer Exchange, located in Hull, accepts used computers and donates them to underserved communities around the world. You can either mail in your old computer or arrange to drop it off directly. 

Household Goods in Acton donates household items to families in need across Massachusetts. Their list of acceptable electronic donations can be found here and includes TVs and DVD players, but not cell phones or computers.

The Worcester area has Salvation Army and Goodwill locations where you can donate your old electronics. 

In Springfield, The Hartsprings Foundation accepts electronics – they collect these donations and sell them to Savers. This revenue is then donated to non-profits such as Dress for Success, Suit Up Springfield, and Alias Solutions.  

Option 2: Find a fix at a Repair Cafe or Fixit Clinic

If your device is broken, Massachusetts has a variety of community-based options for repairing old electronics, like Repair Cafes and Fixit Clinics. These are events where community members help each other repair old electronics, appliances, and other things that would otherwise be tossed. FixIt Clinics have been held in Belmont, Boston, and at MIT in the past year. You can find upcoming events like these on the Fixit Clinic page.

Repair Cafes have also been held in Framingham – you can check this page to see when the next will be held. Additionally, Amherst and Waltham have held Repair Cafes in the past year. Winchester will be holding repair cafes on March 8 and June 14, and a FixIt clinic will be held in Newton on May 18. 

Option 3: Recycling and Disposal

If your device is beyond donation or repair, you can safely dispose of it. For all cities and towns in Massachusetts, you can use the Beyond the Bin tool from RecycleSmart MA or this interactive map to find out where to recycle electronic waste and other items near you. Below, you can find specific options for major cities.

The City of Boston holds Zero Waste Days  and Pop-ups where you can dispose of hazardous materials, including electronics. The next Zero Waste Pop-up will be on April 12. Additionally, you can order an e-box from ProTek Recycling and mail in any of your old electronic waste. 

If you’re north of the Charles, Cambridge has an official recycling center where you can drop off cell phones and laptops, though this is open to Cambridge residents exclusively. For other items, you can use their search tool to determine what to do with it. For example, you can leave a large desktop computer out on the curb for collection, and you’ll need to apply for a permit to dispose of a large TV or appliance. If you don’t want to wait for a permit, 1-800-Got-Junk has TV pickup services available in the Greater Boston area, although they will charge a fee. 

Worcester has a variety of e-waste recycling services and centers where you can either drop your items off or have them picked up. Computer Removal accepts a wide range of products, and if you have a large quantity of e-waste to recycle, they will pick it up free of charge. Wachusett Watershed Regional Recycling Center, located in West Boylston, accepts all kinds of electronic devices for a small fee. Residents of Boylston, Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, Sterling and West Boylston are able to recycle here.

For Springfield, Gold Circuit E-Cycling, LLC in nearby Agawam is a recycling center open to the public that has drop-off services for e-waste, with a fee. 

Option 4: Support your Right to Repair!

One of the biggest barriers to reducing e-waste is that devices are far too difficult to fix, which reduces their lifespan and forces us to buy new items when we shouldn’t need to.  Manufacturers often restrict access to the parts, schematics, and tools we need to repair our devices. As a result, we buy new ones, and the old ones often go to waste. 

Thankfully, there’s a solution: the Right to Repair. A bill currently sitting with the Massachusetts state House and Senate would require manufacturers to provide the parts, tools, and information we need to fix our electronic devices. Right to Repair legislation has passed in five states so far, and Massachusetts has passed Right to Repair legislation for vehicles. It’s time for Massachusetts to pass the Right to Repair for electronics and appliances, too, and let us fix our stuff!