How to Dispose of a TV & Electronics in Florence

It Is Actually Illegal to Landfill These

This one is not just good practice - it is state law. Since July 1, 2011, South Carolina has banned computers, computer monitors, printers, and televisions from disposal in solid-waste landfills under the state's electronics recycling legislation. Landfills must post signs, must not knowingly accept more than an incidental amount of these covered devices, and must tell haulers they are not accepted (SC DES - Electronics Recycling Legislation). Translation: you cannot toss an old TV in the household trash or drop it at a convenience center like ordinary junk. It has to be recycled.

What Counts as a Covered Device

Televisions (tube/CRT, flat-panel, projection)
Desktop, laptop, and tablet computers
Computer monitors
Printers intended for consumer use

Other electronics - phones, small gadgets, cables, and the like - are not all named in the ban but are still far better recycled than trashed, and most e-waste collection points take them too.

Your Recycling Options in Florence

1. County E-Waste Collection Events

Florence County periodically holds free e-waste (and household hazardous waste) collection events for residents and posts the dates on the county website. This is often the simplest no-cost route - hold your old TV or computer until the next event. Confirm the schedule with SC DES electronics recycling for residents or County Recycling at (843) 413-3013.

2. Retailer Take-Back

Some electronics retailers accept devices for recycling. Best Buy runs an in-store electronics and appliance recycling program and offers TV haul-away for a fee when delivering a replacement (Best Buy recycling). Programs, item limits, and fees vary and change, so check the current policy and your nearest store before you drive over.

3. Manufacturer Mail-Back / Convenience Points

Under the state's convenience standard, TV and monitor manufacturers help fund collection options. Some brands offer mail-back or drop-off recycling for their products - check the maker's website for a program covering your device.

4. Full-Service Junk Removal

If you have a heavy old tube TV, a pile of office electronics, or an estate's worth of gear, we will carry it all out and route it to an approved e-waste recycler - keeping it out of the landfill and off your back. This is the easy button for bulky or bulk electronics; pricing is by volume.

Item	Landfill?	Best route
TV (any type)	Banned in SC	County event, retailer, or pickup
Computer / laptop	Banned in SC	County event, retailer take-back, pickup
Monitor	Banned in SC	Recycler / manufacturer program
Printer	Banned in SC	Recycler / county event
Phones, cables, small gadgets	Not banned, but recycle	E-waste drop-off / pickup

Donate or Sell Working Electronics

Recycling is for gear that is truly dead. If a TV, computer, tablet, or game console still works, it has value beyond scrap. A working flat-panel TV or a usable laptop can go to a thrift store or charity, be sold on a local marketplace, or be passed along through a Buy Nothing group to a student, a family, or a nonprofit. Schools, churches, and community organizations sometimes accept working computers directly. Reuse is always better than recycling: it keeps a functional device in service and out of the waste stream entirely, and it may put a few dollars back in your pocket. Old tube (CRT) TVs and monitors are the exception - they are heavy, hold leaded glass, and have essentially no resale market, so those are recycling candidates from the start.

When you upgrade, remember that trade-in and manufacturer take-back programs often give store credit for working devices, which can beat both selling and recycling for convenience. It only makes sense to recycle once reuse and resale are genuinely off the table.

Before You Recycle: Wipe Your Data

Computers, laptops, and even some smart TVs hold personal data. Sign out of accounts, factory-reset the device, and where possible wipe or remove the drive before it leaves your hands. Reputable recyclers help with this, but the safest step is to clear it yourself first.

Have a bulky old TV or a stack of dead electronics to clear? Call (854) 204-9863 and we will haul them to an approved recycler for you.

Sources

Last verified: July 15, 2026. Retailer programs and county event dates change - confirm before you go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it really illegal to throw away a TV in South Carolina?

Yes. Since July 1, 2011, SC bans TVs, computers, monitors, and printers from landfill disposal. Landfills post signs and cannot accept them, so these devices must be recycled through an approved program.

Where can I recycle a TV in Florence for free?

Watch for Florence County's free e-waste collection events, posted on the county website. Some retailers also accept electronics, and manufacturers may offer mail-back. Confirm current options with County Recycling at (843) 413-3013.

Does Best Buy take old TVs?

Best Buy runs an in-store electronics recycling program and will haul away a TV for a fee when they deliver a replacement. Item limits and fees vary and change, so check the current policy at your store first.

Should I wipe my computer before recycling?

Yes. Sign out of accounts, factory-reset the device, and wipe or remove the drive if you can before it leaves your hands. Clearing your own data first is the safest step.

How to Dispose of a TV & Electronics in Florence, SC