What is on it
Categorize the data
NIST tells organizations to categorize the information, assess the media and decide its future before choosing a sanitization method.4
Electronics disposal: data off, batteries out, then a certified recycler
TVs, computers, monitors and the batteries inside them do not belong in a debris box. EPA recommends certified electronics recyclers,1 states such as New York ban covered electronics from the trash,2 and lithium-ion batteries are a fire risk in garbage and recycling.3 Detritus does not arrange electronics recycling, so this guide covers where e-waste goes and what we can help with around it.
- DataSanitized first
- CertifiedR2 or e-Stewards
- BatteriesOut and separate
Why it is its own stream
A dead computer can still hold live data
Electronics carry two problems a debris box cannot fix: the data on them and the batteries in them. NIST's media sanitization guidelines define three ways to deal with the data, matched to how sensitive it is.4
Method 1
Clear
Logical techniques, such as overwriting or a factory reset, that protect against simple recovery through the normal interface. The device usually stays usable.
- Protection
- Reuse
Method 2
Purge
Techniques, such as cryptographic erase, that make recovery infeasible even with state-of-the-art laboratory methods while leaving the device potentially reusable.
- Protection
- Reuse
Method 3
Destroy
Shredding, disintegrating, pulverizing, melting or incinerating, so recovery is infeasible and the media can never store data again.
- Protection
- Reuse
NIST notes that the technique has to match the media: overwriting that works on an older hard drive can leave data behind on flash storage.4 Certified recycling standards also require destruction of all data on used electronics.1
Where it goes
A certified recycler, a take-back program, never the debris box
EPA says manufacturers and retailers offer several options to donate or recycle electronics.5
- Usual fit
A certified electronics recycler
EPA recognizes two accredited standards, R2 and e-Stewards, audited by independent third parties.1 Ask for both the certificate and a record of how data was handled.
- Often free
Manufacturer or retailer take-back
In New York, manufacturers must offer free recycling to most consumers; larger businesses may be charged.2 Other states run their own programs, or none.
- Keep out
A dumpster or compactor
Our dumpster guide lists electronics as ask first because state and site rules differ. Batteries are a no.
Counting it
What an office full of electronics weighs
Recyclers count units and pounds, not cubic yards. EPA's per-unit weights help you describe a load.6
| Device | EPA weight, one | 25 of them |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop computer | 27 lb | 675 lb |
| Laptop | 9.8 lb | 245 lb |
| CRT monitor | 40 lb | 1,000 lb |
| Flat panel monitor | 24 lb | 600 lb |
| CRT TV, over 19 inch | 73 lb | 1,825 lb |
| Flat panel TV | 29 lb | 725 lb |
| Printer | 16.1 lb | About 400 lb |
Planning figures. A recycler quotes from its own count and scale. Old CRT screens are the heavy ones, so list them separately.
For businesses
IT asset disposition, in four questions
IT asset disposition, or ITAD, is the job of retiring company devices safely. A certified recycler or ITAD provider does it; these are the questions to settle first.
Who does it
Pick a certified provider
EPA recommends certified electronics recyclers, and lists data security among the services they may provide.1
What you get back
Records you can keep
Ask for a list of what was received, by serial number where you track assets, and how the data on each was handled.
What it costs
Free take-back may not apply
New York lets manufacturers charge for-profit businesses with 50 or more full-time employees and nonprofits with 75 or more.2 Check your state's rules.
Prep
Six steps before electronics leave the building
Inventory it
Count devices by type, and note anything that stores data.
Back up and sign out
Copy what you need and remove devices from accounts and management systems.
Sanitize or hand off
Clear, purge or destroy to match the data, or leave it to a certified provider in writing.
Pull the batteries
EPA says to remove batteries from electronics, since they may need to be recycled separately.5
Set it apart
Stage electronics away from the cleanout debris, so nothing ends up in the dumpster.
Keep the records
The recycler's certificate and data handling record stay with your asset records.
Keep it out
What stays out of the dumpster and the compactor
These go to a recycler or a collection point, not a debris load. State rules can be stricter than federal ones.
- Lithium-ion batteries and devices with themEPA says they should not go in household garbage or recycling bins, and links rising fires at waste and recycling facilities to them. Tape the terminals or bag each battery.3
- Covered electronics where the state bans themIn New York, consumers, which includes businesses, cannot put covered electronics in the trash or a landfill since January 1, 2015.2
- Anything that still holds dataHard drives, phones, copiers and other office equipment with storage. Sanitize first.4
- TVs and monitorsList them separately for the recycler. EPA puts an old CRT TV over 19 inches at 73 pounds.6
The rules
Electronics rules vary by state
Disposal bans and take-back programs differ from state to state, so check your state environmental agency. One state example, and the federal guidance:
NYSDEC, New York
A disposal ban with free take-back
Since January 1, 2015, covered electronics, including computers, monitors, printers, small electronics and TVs over 4 inches, cannot go in landfills, waste-to-energy plants or the trash. Manufacturers must offer free and convenient recycling to most consumers.2
U.S. EPA
Certified recyclers
EPA recommends certified electronics recyclers and names two standards, R2 and e-Stewards, which require destruction of all data on used electronics.1
NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2
Media sanitization
NIST's September 2025 guidelines define clear, purge and destroy, and say to pick the method by the sensitivity of the data and the type of media.4
U.S. EPA
Batteries
Lithium-ion batteries go to separate recycling or household hazardous waste collection points, not garbage or recycling bins.3
How it works with Detritus
What we arrange around the electronics
Detritus does not arrange electronics recycling. Electronics go to a certified electronics recycler or a manufacturer or retailer program. What we arrange is the rest of the job: a junk hauling crew or a roll-off for the furniture, fixtures and debris from an office move or cleanout, from local providers in the markets we serve. Availability varies by market. Tell us what electronics are in the space, so they are set aside for the recycler and not loaded.
- The address and access: stairs, elevator, dock
- What else is going: furniture, fixtures, boxes, debris
- Which electronics stay behind for the recycler
- The date the space has to be empty
Decide
If this, then that
| Your situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| One old TV or computer at home | A manufacturer or retailer take-back, or a local collection site |
| An office refresh with laptops and monitors | A certified recycler or ITAD provider, with a data handling record |
| Drives with sensitive data | Purge or destroy, matched to the media, before or by the provider |
| Loose lithium-ion batteries | Tape or bag them and take them to a battery collection point |
| An office move with furniture and debris too | Electronics to the recycler; the rest by crew or roll-off. See junk hauling and cleanouts |
| Not sure what your state allows | Check your state environmental agency before anything goes in a dumpster |
Common questions
Electronics disposal questions
Can I put electronics in a dumpster?
Ask first, and usually no. Some states ban covered electronics from the trash, disposal sites set their own rules, and batteries inside them are a fire risk. A certified recycler is the usual route.
Does Detritus recycle electronics?
No. We arrange junk hauling and roll-offs for the rest of a cleanout or office move. Electronics go to a certified electronics recycler or a manufacturer or retailer program.
What is a certified electronics recycler?
A recycler certified to one of the two accredited standards EPA names, R2 or e-Stewards, which are checked by independent third-party auditors.
How do I wipe data before recycling?
NIST describes three methods: clear, purge and destroy. Match the method to how sensitive the data is and the type of media, or have a certified provider do it and give you a record.
Why can't lithium-ion batteries go in the trash?
A battery damaged in a truck or at a facility can start a fire. EPA says they belong at separate recycling or household hazardous waste collection points.
Is e-waste recycling free?
Sometimes. In New York, manufacturers must offer free recycling to most consumers, but larger businesses may be charged. Rules differ by state.
How do I get a quote for the rest of the cleanout?
Call sales at (888) 588-2607 or request a quote with the address, what is going and the date.
Clearing out an office?
The electronics go to a certified recycler. Tell us about the rest. Local providers do the work; we hold the contract, own the problems, and send one bill.
Related guides
Sources
- U.S. EPA, Certified Electronics Recyclers (last updated July 31, 2026): EPA recommends certified electronics recyclers; two accredited certification standards exist, the R2 Standard and the e-Stewards Standard, checked by accredited, independent third-party auditors; the standards require destruction of all data on used electronics, and data security is among the services certified recyclers may provide. Checked November 5, 2026. epa.gov
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Recycling Consumer Electronic Waste: since January 1, 2015 consumers, defined to include businesses, may not dispose of covered electronic equipment in landfills, waste-to-energy facilities, the trash or curbside trash; manufacturers must provide free and convenient recycling to most consumers, though for-profit businesses with 50 or more full-time employees and nonprofits with 75 or more may be charged; covered equipment includes computers, peripherals such as monitors and printers, small electronics, small-scale servers and televisions over 4 inches. Checked November 5, 2026. dec.ny.gov
- U.S. EPA, Used Lithium-Ion Batteries (last updated March 20, 2026): lithium-ion batteries and devices containing them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins; batteries damaged in transport or sorting create a fire hazard, and an increase in fires at recycling and waste facilities prompted an industry campaign; take them to separate recycling or household hazardous waste collection points; tape terminals or bag each battery. Checked November 5, 2026. epa.gov
- NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, Guidelines for Media Sanitization (September 2025): organizations categorize the information, assess the media and choose a sanitization method; clear applies logical techniques against simple, non-invasive recovery; purge makes recovery infeasible using state-of-the-art laboratory techniques while preserving the media in a potentially reusable state; destroy, by disintegrating, incinerating, melting, pulverizing or shredding, makes recovery infeasible and the media unusable; techniques must be matched to the media. Checked November 5, 2026. csrc.nist.gov
- U.S. EPA, Electronics Donation and Recycling (last updated December 19, 2025): manufacturers and retailers offer several options to donate or recycle electronics; delete all personal information; remove batteries, which may need to be recycled separately; lithium-ion batteries and devices containing them should not go in household garbage or recycling bins. Checked November 5, 2026. epa.gov
- U.S. EPA, Volume-to-Weight Conversion Factors (April 2016): old corrugated containers flattened 106 lb per cubic yard, and corrugated and chip board uncompacted 74.54 lb; refrigerator 250 lb, clothes washer 150, stove 150, clothes dryer 125 and dishwasher 125 lb per unit; major appliances 145 lb per loose cubic yard; desktop 27 lb, laptop 9.8, CRT monitor 40, flat panel monitor 24, CRT TV over 19 inch 73, flat panel TV 29 and printer 16.1 lb each; food waste 463 lb per cubic yard, restaurant food waste 396 lb per cubic yard, and a 64 gallon toter of food waste 150 lb. Checked November 4, 2026. epa.gov