Old and obsolete electronic products, or e-waste, make up the fastest growing portion of our waste stream and contain an array of toxic materials. In the U.S., we scrap about 400 million units per year of consumer electronics; worldwide, about 4,000 tons of e-waste is discarded every hour.

This guide is meant to answer your question, "How do I recycle my e-waste in Texas?"

State Law Makes Recycling Your Computer Easy...and Free! Thanks to state legislation passed in 2007, Texas consumers no longer have to rely on local governments or their own pocketbooks to recycle old computers. All companies selling computers in Texas must offer free and convenient recycling for their old computer equipment. Visit www.texasrecyclescomputers.org for locations to recycle your computer.

Don't Trash Your Old TV! TVs contain toxins that don't belong in  landfills. If you are replacing your old set, all Best Buy stores recycle TVs  up to 32 inches. Click here for details.

TV makers take 'em back! The switch to digital TV signals is now complete...don't  put your old set on the curb or dump it in the landfill!  If you plan to replace your old TV, some manufacturers  now offer free recycling. Options are limited, in part  because TV recycling legislation was vetoed in 2009. Texas lawmakers will most likely reconsider this issue in 2011.	retailers take 'em back! Many retailers also offer recycling and trade-in programs for your old e-waste. Visit each retailer's website to find out what equipment you can recycle for free. In some cases, manufacturers are partnered with retailers to provide free recycling.
Limited drop-off locations for LG, Zenith & Goldstar TVs.	CostCo offers a trade-in program for some e-waste.
Limited drop-off locations for Samsung TVs.	Staples recycles Dell-branded equipment.
Limited drop-off locations available for all Sony equipment.	All Wal-Mart stores recycle iLo and Durabrand TVs.
Limited drop-off locations for Panasonic,  Sharp, Toshiba and Mitsubishi TVs.	All Best Buy stores recycle most electronics.

Cell phone recycling All mobile phone retailers/providers such as Sprint, AT&T, Verizon Wireless or  T-Mobile provide in-store recycling for cell phones, PDAs and chargers.  Recycling you old phone is as easy as buying a new one. Also, all Fedex/Kinkos locations accept cell phones and PDAs for free recycling!

Re-use, donation: can't someone use it? If your equipment still works, extending its useful life can be a good option. There are many donation options that channel equipment to people in need. However, many donated computers that aren't functional may be sent overseas for dirty scrap operations -- oftentimes we can't vouch for them doing responsible recycling in all cases.

Responsible Donation Options  Goodwill has partnered with Dell to provide free computer recycling for all Texas residents! Any brand of any e-waste is accepted, except non-working TVs. Click here for locations. Central Texas Goodwill locations are now accepting non-working Panasonic, Sharp and Toshiba televisions. For all other brands, please donate only working TVs.

World Computer Exchange is a global education & environment nonprofit that helps connect youth in 67 developing countries to the skills, opportunities & understanding of the Internet while keeping working computers out of landfills. They test all equipment to ensure it is functional. Please check to see if WCE has a Chapter near you to arrange a time to drop-off your equipment. Click here for locations.