How to Dispose of a TV

With technology advancing rapidly, televisions are getting bigger, thinner, lighter, more energy efficient, and smarter every year! Whether you need to recycle an old TV because you are upgrading to a new one, or dispose of a TV that no longer works, you’ll need to know the right way to go about it. A TV cannot be placed in a skip with other household waste.

Options for Disposing of a TV

A TV is made up of lots of different components, including some that can be harmful to the environment. As an electronic device, recycling a TV is covered by Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations. So, it’s extremely important to ensure you dispose of your TV in a way that is legal and reduces the number of materials sent to landfill.

Sell

If you are looking to dispose of a TV that is still in good working order, you may be able to sell it to raise some money towards the purchase of a new one. Gather together any packaging, instruction manuals, cables and remote controls and list your TV for sale on social media, a local selling site, or on a noticeboard. Make sure you let people know if they will need to collect the item, or if you’d be willing to deliver it to them.

Donate

Some charities are able to test and resell old electrical items if they are in good working order. Recycling a TV in this way could help to raise money for a charity, whilst also giving someone a chance to buy a TV that they may not have been able to afford to buy new. Check with your local charities to make sure they can accept electrical items; they might even offer to collect the TV from you.

Repair

Repairing an item and continuing to use it could help to save you money. Before you dispose of your TV, make sure you check the instruction manual for any common faults or problems that might be easy to fix. You might be able to get your old TV repaired by a professional, and if it isn’t very old it may still be covered under the manufacturer’s warranty.

Recycle

Recycling a TV is something that needs to be done in accordance with WEEE legislation. It is the duty of the owner of the electrical item to ensure it is disposed of correctly. Most TVs contain valuable materials like steel, aluminium, copper, gold and silver, as well as plastics and glass. Some TVs also contain materials like lead, mercury, cadmium, flame retardants and other hazardous waste, and they must all be separated in a specialist environment.

Check with your local Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) to see if they have the facilities for old TV disposal. For more details on how to get rid of other electrical devices, have a look at our guide to disposing of electronic devices.

TV disposal

There are lots of options for disposing of an old TV, or recycling a TV. It is important to note that you cannot put a TV in skip, due to WEEE regulations. You can find out more about items that can be placed in a skip in our useful article ‘What can go in a skip?’.