When you finally say goodbye to your old electronics, properly recycle these products using one of the available local recycling options. Many electronic devices contain a variety of substances that are potentially harmful to our health and environment if tossed into landfills.
Several options are currently available to City of Gainesville residents for properly recycling old, unwanted electronics.
- Drop-off Locations: There is no fee for Gainesville and Alachua County residents to bring electronics for recycling to the Alachua County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center or at any of the five Alachua County Rural Collection Centers. For more information on these drop-off locations, visit Alachua County Drop-Off Centers.
- Curbside Collection: There is no fee for residents in homes with City Solid Waste Services to schedule an appointment to collect electronic items for recycling. Visit Electronics Collection Appointment for a list of accepted electronics and how to properly prepare your items for curbside collection.
- Retail Stores: Some electronic stores and retailers will accept electronics for recycling. For example, Best Buy accepts a large number of small electronics for recycling, such as computers, tablets, and mobile phones. If items are not specifically listed by a store, please be sure to call ahead to confirm what items they accept for recycling and if there is a fee.
For more electronic recycling options, visit the Zero Waste Wizard.
Large-sized electronic items can be collected by appointment for homes serviced through the City of Gainesville's Residential Curbside Program. There is no additional cost for this collection service. Only residential homes serviced through the City of Gainesville's Residential Curbside Service Program are eligible for this service. Smaller-sized electronic items (radios, cell phones, keyboards, mice, cables, etc.) should be dropped off at the Alachua County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center or other public drop-off sites.
- Keep electronics separate from any bulk items set out for collection.
- Be sure to submit your electronics collection appointment request no later than 10 AM the day before your regular collection day.
- Electronic collection appointments should be completed on your regular collection day (same day as your garbage day).
- Limit of 10 electronic items per collection.
Accepted
- Televisions & Computer Monitors ❌ NO Projection Televisions
- Desktop & Laptop Computers
- Printers, Scanners & Fax Machines
- Video Game Systems
- VCR & DVD players
- Stereos
- Countertop Microwave Ovens (less than 1.0 cu. ft. model sizes)
- Electric Power Tools ❌ NO Gas Engine Items
Not Accepted
❌ No Projection Televisions or electronics with broken screens
❌ No Gas Engine Items
❌ No Large appliances or microwave ovens 1.0 cu. ft. model sizes (see Appliance Collection)
❌ No Vacuum cleaners
❌ No Satellite dishes
❌ No Commercial-sized printers, copiers, or fax machines
Pro Prep Tips
- If you have multiple small items, such as mice, cables, or wires, place them in a small box next to your other electronic items for collection.
Make Your Electronics Collection Appointment
After making your electronics collection appointment:
- Place your electronics curbside for collection by 7 AM on your regular collection day.
- Allow at least 4 feet of clearance between your garbage cart and any electronics set out for collection.
❌ Electronics with broken screens can not be collected curbside. These items will need to be taken to the Alachua County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center.
As technology rapidly evolves, the lifecycle of our devices keeps on shrinking, which has resulted in an ever-increasing amount of old electronic devices in need of recycling. Luckily there are plenty of available options for recycling electronics to help conserve these valuable resources and minimize our environmental impact. However, before handing over your old computers or smartphones for recycling, it is essential to prepare them properly to ensure any person information is adequately removed or erased.
- Data Backup & Device Reset - Download important files, photos, and contact lists to an external hard drive, cloud storage, or another secure location. After backing up, perform a factory reset on the device to erase all personal data, returning it to its original settings.
- Remove External Accessories - Remove memory cards, SIM cards, batteries, chargers, and other peripherals that can be reused or recycled separately.
- Data Destruction - Any remaining data, such as personal records or passwords, can be secured by using data erasure software or physically destroying storage components. Information is available online for tackling either method.
For information on where to recycle your old electronic devices, visit the Zero Waste Wizard.