Electronics Recycling in New Jersey: Why TVs and Computers Can’t Go in the Trash

An old television on the curb is one of the most common sights during a spring cleanup, and one of the few that the City of Trenton will leave behind on purpose. Under New Jersey’s Electronic Waste Management Act, televisions and computers cannot go out with the household trash. Here is what the law covers and where those devices go instead.

What the law says

The New Jersey Electronic Waste Management Act bans the disposal of computers, televisions and other covered devices. As a municipal summary from Long Branch puts it, homeowners, businesses and institutions may not place these items in the trash, and public and private haulers are prohibited from picking them up for disposal.

The law also puts responsibility on the companies that make the devices. Manufacturers selling covered electronics in New Jersey must offer a takeback system with free drop-off for consumers, and retailers may not sell a covered device from a manufacturer that has not set up an approved takeback system.

Which devices are covered

The list that municipalities publish for residents includes:

• Televisions
• Desktop and personal computers
• Laptop and other portable computers
• Computer monitors
• Printers
• Fax machines

Items outside that list, such as small kitchen appliances, can still often be recycled at the county events described below, but the legal ban applies to the covered devices.

Why the City won’t take them

During its citywide cleanup, the City of Trenton reminded residents that electronic devices such as televisions and laptops are not eligible for City pickup under the Electronic Waste Management Act. The City directs residents to the Mercer County Improvement Authority at 609-278-8086 to learn how to dispose of them. The same notice lists tires, bricks, concrete and construction debris as items the City will not collect.

Where to take electronics in Mercer County

The county’s 2026 recycling calendar pairs electronics recycling with its household hazardous waste days: March 21, June 13 and September 26, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each time, at the Dempster Fire Training School site in Lawrence Township (350 Lawrence Station Road). Because the manufacturer takeback rules are designed to make drop-off free, retailers and manufacturers also run their own programs; ask where you bought the device.

Call the MCIA before you load a heavy television. Collection details can change between events, and staff can tell you what the next one accepts.

Before you hand a device over

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s electronics page gives three practical steps.

Take out the batteries

EPA says to remove batteries from electronics because they may need to be recycled separately, and that lithium-ion batteries and devices containing them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins. The Mercer County recycling sheet calls lithium-ion batteries a major fire hazard.

Protect your data

Before giving away or recycling a computer, phone or tablet, back up what you want to keep and erase personal information. Sign out of accounts and remove memory cards and SIM cards.

Consider a second life

EPA suggests upgrading the hardware or software of a computer or laptop instead of buying a new one, and donating working devices. A working laptop can serve a student or a community group for years.

Why it is worth the trip

Electronics are made from metals, plastics and glass that take energy to mine and manufacture. EPA estimates that recycling one million laptops saves the energy equivalent of the electricity used by more than 3,500 U.S. homes in a year. For every million cell phones recycled, it says, 35,000 pounds of copper, 772 pounds of silver, 75 pounds of gold and 33 pounds of palladium can be recovered.

Device	Trash or curb?	Where it goes
Television or computer monitor	No, banned by state law	County e-waste collection or a takeback program
Laptop or desktop computer	No, banned by state law	County collection, takeback or donation
Loose lithium-ion battery	No, fire hazard	Battery collection; ask at county events
Cables and chargers	Not in the recycling bucket	Bring them with your devices

Choosing who recycles it

If you use a private recycler or a store program rather than the county event, ask whether the company is certified. EPA keeps a page on certified electronics recyclers that explains what certification means, and its electronics page lists manufacturer and retailer programs for informational purposes only, without endorsing any of them. If a store or recycler cannot tell you how it handles the devices it collects, take them to the county event instead.

Where electronics fit with everything else

Electronics, chemicals and everyday recycling each have their own route in Mercer County. The weekly bucket is covered in Trenton Recycling Guide: What Goes in the Bucket, When It Is Picked Up and What Stays Out, and paint, pesticides and propane in Household Hazardous Waste in Mercer County: 2026 Drop-Off Days and What They Take. Planning one trip on a county collection day often handles all three at once.