Electronics Recycling
Electronic waste (e-waste) includes electrical or electronic devices and appliances. E-waste is toxic and should never go in the the mixed recycling bin or in the trash bin. Tufts complies with state regulation of e-waste, which bans large electronic appliances from landfills.
If your e-waste is still in good working condition, donate, reuse, or Freecycle it instead of throwing it out. If your e-waste is broken, learn how to properly dispose of it below:
Tufts-owned Electronics
Tufts pays to have Tufts-owned electronics disposed of in an ethical and environmentally conscious manner. Any electronic device with a hard drive/CPU must be wiped by TTS prior to disposal. Email TTS@tufts.edu to dispose of laptops and desktop computers properly. University laptops handle a lot of private information, and we must do our due diligence to ensure the proper care of that information.
Small, Corded Electronics
These items include cell phones, computer mouses, chargers, and headphones and can be dropped off at the following locations. For the most up-to-date locations, please check out the eco-map!
If you have a large quantity of e-waste that you cannot carry, or you are on the Boston Health Sciences Campus, you can submit a facilities service request to have it picked up.
Medford campus:
- eMayer Campus Center, 1st floor
- 574 Boston Ave., 4th floor
- 520 Boston Ave.
Grafton Campus:
- Small Animal Hospital (2nd floor in hallway outside room 204A)
- Webster Family Library in Loew (1st level in lobby outside of library)
SMFA campus:
- 230 The Fenway (across from the mail room)
Large Electronics and Appliances
Large electronics include computers with wiped hard drives and appliances such as TVs, refrigerators, and microwaves.
- For computers, first contact TTS@Tufts.edu so that they can wipe-out the hard drive.
- Submit a facilities services request to have it removed and recycled.
Personal Electronics
You can recycle personal appliances such as refrigerators through mass save or through special municipal collection. You can recycle your personal electronics, meanwhile, through the manufacturer or retailer:
Products |
Shipping Information |
Drop-off Information |
Apple |
Free with shipping form. |
Batteries and iPods accepted at Apple stores. |
HP |
Free shipping via FedEx for HP and Compaq products with pre-printed voucher. Fee for other products is $10-$25. |
Staples stores accept many HP and non-HP consumer products, except TVs. |
Dell |
Free shipping or pickup of Dell product. free pickup of non-Dell item with purchase of Dell product. |
Partnership with Goodwill for Dell Reconnect accepts any brand of electronics except mobile phones. |
Amazon |
Free shipping for Kindles via UPS with pre-printed voucher. |
Not available. |
Samsung |
Free mailback shipping for various products weighing less than 25 pounds. |
Drop Samsung and non-Samsung products at over 1,000 third-party locations. |
Sony |
Free shipping for Sony products weighing less than 25 pounds. |
Drop Sony products at about 850 third-party locations. |
Best Buy |
Free recycling in stores of most products. Free appliance removal when purchasing a new one. Or, $100 for home pickup of two items. |
Accepts most consumer electronics, regardless of where they were purchased. Also, recycling kiosks for ink cartridges, rechargeable batteries, cord, cables, etc. |
Microsoft |
Free shipping of Microsoft hardware, including Xbox. |
Cellphones, rechargeable phone batteries and computers accepted at Microsoft stores. |
Staples (staples.com/sbd/cre/marketing/sustainability-center/recycling-services/electronics) |
Free drop off | Accept most everything and you don't need to have purchased it at Staples to drop it off at a store. |
Want to learn more about how to recycle electronic items? Check out this guide.
Provided by Office of Sustainability