ELECTRONIC WASTE
DISPOSAL INFO
It is illegal to put electronic waste in the trash in Vermont. Electronic devices contain toxic materials (including lead, mercury, and chromium) that should be managed responsibly as well as precious metals and minerals that should be recovered and recycled.
Electronic devices are accepted at LRSWMD Johnson, Morrisville, and Stowe stations.
Some electronic devices are fully covered by Vermont’s E-Cycles program. Others are still banned from the landfill but disposal is not free. See below for more details.
COST
FREE DISPOSAL*: Computers, laptops, tablets, monitors, printers, computer peripherals (mouse, keyboard), televisions/TVs, cell phone
*Up to 7 items; if bringing 8+ items - $5 each
$1 EACH - Other electronics, including but not limited to, game consoles, telephones, personal music players, VCRs, DVD players, and stereo equipment
Vermont’s landfill disposal requirements makes it illegal to dispose of several materials, including many electronic devices. The Vermont E-Cycles statute provides for free and convenient collection of computers, monitors, printers, computer peripherals, and televisions for covered entities. The law has been in place since 2011.
Click here for more info on Vermont’s E-Cycles Program.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE
Consider donating your used computer/laptop to ReSource in Hyde Park. Need help with a computer problem? They also have a repair shop, which may be able to help you.
ReSource Computer Sales & Services
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CERTIFIED REFURBISHED PRODUCTS
Buying refurbished is a great way to support the electronics recycling, the circular economy, and the environment.
TIPS FOR SHOPPING FOR REFURBISHED PRODUCTS
If you’re shopping for a new computer, phone, speaker, or any other electronic device, see if your preferred manufacturer or retailer has a certified refurbished program. There are a lot of places you can buy refurbished products; often, you can even buy them as CERTIFIED refurbished from a reputable seller or the manufacturer themselves, which may let you get the same warranty as you would any new product.
Buying refurbished is a great way to support the electronics recycling, the circular economy, and the environment.
Although electronic waste is a small component of all waste that is disposed, it is the fastest growing component of waste. Consider that in 1970, most households had only 1 TV and 0 computers. In 2008, 1.6 million pounds of electronics were recycled in Vermont. In 2015 the number climbed to more than 4.6 million pounds recycled!
DATA SECURITY: Are you worried about leaving data on your computer when recycling it? It’s up to you to remove any sensitive data from your computer before disposing of it.
If you would like to purchase data security services, take a look at the list of data security providers around the state.
If you’d like to do it yourself, there are two basic ways to destroy your data: physically break the hard drive disks, or permanently erase it using disk wiping software. Do a web search for “how to permanently erase a hard drive” or visit this article to find out more.