Certified and Secure
Free TV Recycling Services in San Diego
Dream Electronic Recycling offers free TV recycling and disposal across San Diego County. Bring in any television, LED, LCD, plasma, OLED, smart TV, or an old CRT tube set to one of our five drop-off locations at no charge, or schedule a free TV pickup if it’s too large or too heavy to move yourself.
There is no fee. Most recyclers and every junk-removal company charge to take a television, particularly older tube and rear-projection sets, because the leaded glass inside costs money to process. We don’t, because California’s Electronic Waste Recycling Act already collected a recycling fee when the TV was originally sold. You paid it once. You should not pay again.
Book Your Television Recycling Slot in San Diego
Book your appointment for Free TV Recycling and disposal services in San Diego today. If you have any questions, call us at (619) 889-1305 or email us at [email protected].
Certified and Secure TV Recycling
Free Television Drop-Off Near You in San Diego
Dream Electronic Recycling is San Diego’s only R2v3 certified electronics recycling facility, offering e-waste drop off in San Diego residents and businesses can rely on. Visit one of our 6 San Diego County locations to drop off your TVs at no cost, or request a free pickup.
Screen too big for the car? We pick up televisions free anywhere in San Diego County, including projection sets and wall-mounted displays. Call (619) 889-1305 or schedule a free pickup.
What San Diego Community Says About Us
Rated Excellent by 2000+ locals for fast, friendly, and completely free electronic recycling.
TV Recycling
TVs and Televisions We Accept for Recycling
If it displays a picture and plugs into a wall, we'll take it. Working or not, any brand, any size.
LED, LCD and Plasma TVs
Every flat-panel technology: LED, direct-lit and edge-lit, LCD, plasma, OLED, QLED and quantum dot, mini-LED, and curved panels. Any diagonal from a 13-inch kitchen set upward.
Smart TVs and 4K/8K Televisions
Smart televisions from every manufacturer, plus 4K UHD, 8K, and HDR sets. Smart TVs store data, so see the section below on what to clear before you hand one over.
Broken and Non-Working TVs
The condition doesn't change the price. Cracked screens, dead panels, no picture, no sound, water damage, lightning damage, missing stands, missing remotes, sets that were already old when they broke. All accepted, all free.
No CRT Fee
Yes, we take tube TVs, and we don't charge for them
This is worth stating plainly because most places won't. A CRT contains several pounds of leaded glass, which costs money to process and has no scrap value, so the industry standard is a per-set fee. Junk haulers charge more. We accept traditional tube televisions, rear-projection sets, DLP projection TVs, and old console televisions in wooden cabinets at no charge.
If the screen glass is cracked or broken, call (619) 889-1305 before you travel. Broken CRT glass releases leaded dust and needs different handling.
TV Sizes We Accept
Screen size
Typical use
Notes
Under 20"
Portable, kitchen, RV sets
Easy drop-off
20–32"
Bedroom, kitchen, dorm
Easy drop-off
33–43"
Secondary living room
Fits most vehicles
44–55"
Standard living room
Drop-off or pickup
56–65"
Large living room
Pickup recommended
66–75"
Extra-large
Pickup recommended
76–85"
Oversized
Free pickup
86"+
Very large or commercial
Free pickup
Projection / console
Rear-projection, cabinet TVs
Free pickup
Commercial displays
Digital signage, video walls
Business pickup, volume welcome
Not sure your set qualifies? Call (619) 889-1305 and describe it.
TV Brands We Accept
All of them. Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, TCL, Hisense, Panasonic, Philips, Toshiba, Sharp, Insignia, JVC, Sceptre, RCA, Westinghouse, Magnavox, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Element, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV Edition, Zenith, Emerson, Sanyo, Apex, Curtis, Onn, Sylvania, and every commercial display brand.
TV Accessories and Connected Equipment
Bring these along with the TV, or on their own:
Category
Accepted items
Cables
HDMI, coaxial, RCA, component, composite, optical audio
Power
Power cords, AC adapters, power supplies, surge protectors
Remotes
TV remotes, universal remotes, media remotes
Set-top boxes
Cable boxes, satellite receivers, digital converters, DVRs, TiVo
Streaming
Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Chromecast, Nvidia Shield
Satellite
Receivers, dishes, LNBs
Antennas
Indoor, outdoor, and digital TV antennas
Mounting
Wall mounts, brackets, mounting hardware, TV stands with electronics
Audio
Soundbars, speakers, AV receivers, home theatre systems, subwoofers
Media players
DVD players, Blu-ray players, VCRs, laserdisc players
Gaming
Consoles, controllers, and TV-connected gaming equipment
Other
Adapters, splitters, switches, HDMI hubs
Unacceptable TV Items
Items We Cannot Accept
We take almost every Television and of any brand but a short list of items falls outside our permits and has to go to a household hazardous waste facility or a specialty handler instead.
Prohibited Items
- Entertainment centres, TV cabinets, and furniture with no electronics in them
- Remote batteries are fine. Anything still installed inside a remote, soundbar, or streaming device needs no special handling.
Call before you travel
Tube and rear-projection TVs with cracked or shattered screen glass are still accepted, but broken leaded glass releases dust and needs different handling, so call (619) 889-1305 first. A flat panel with a cracked screen is a normal free drop-off, no call needed.
Clearing a commercial video wall, a conference room, or a large volume of displays? Email photos to [email protected] and we will arrange it.
Our Complete TV Recycling & Disposal Services
We handle everything from a single old TV at home to multi-floor office decommissioning. All the services below are free for standard TVs.
Free TV Recycling
Every television we accept is free to recycle. No drop-off fee, no per-inch charge, no CRT surcharge, no minimum quantity. That applies to residents and businesses.
TV Recycling Drop-Off
Six locations across San Diego County, open six days a week and seven in Oceanside. Pull up to the receiving area and our team lifts the TV out of your vehicle. No appointment needed, and most drop-offs take under five minutes.
TV Pickup and Disposal
For large screens, multiple sets or anything you can't safely move, we come to you. Free across San Diego County. Our crew handles the lift and the load, and we can work around building access hours, elevators and loading dock rules.
Residential TV Recycling
Homeowners, renters, estates, and apartment residents. One TV or a garage full. If you're moving out and the old set has been in the closet for six years, we'll take it.
Business & Commercial TV Recycling
Hotels replacing guest room televisions, offices clearing displays, restaurants and bars swapping out screens. We schedule pickup around your operating hours and can provide recycling documentation for compliance reporting.
Responsible TV Disposal
Everything we collect is processed under an R2v3-certified chain of custody. Hazardous components are removed under permit, materials go to audited downstream processors, and nothing is exported to an uncontrolled destination.
Secure and Certified TV Recycling in San Diego
Why Choose Dream Electronic Recycling?
- Free TV recycling: No drop-off fees, per-inch charges, or CRT surcharges, including for tube TVs.
- Free pickup for large loads: Have multiple or oversized TVs? Schedule a free pickup across San Diego County.
- R2v3 certified: Our recycling practices are independently audited for responsible electronics reuse and recycling.
- CalRecycle registered: CEWID #127772.
- Six convenient locations: Drop off your TVs and electronics at locations across San Diego County, open 7 days a week.
- Any brand, size, or condition: We accept TVs from 13-inch sets to 85-inch displays, whether working or broken.
- Hard-to-recycle TVs accepted: CRTs, rear-projection TVs, console TVs, and commercial displays are welcome.
- More than just TVs: We also accept remotes, mounts, cables, soundbars, streaming devices, and DVD players.
TV Disposal Process
How Free TV Recycling Process Works
Our free TV recycling process makes it easy to get rid of old televisions safely, from drop-off to responsible downstream processing. Secure at every step and simple for you:
Personal Info In Smart Tv
Is There Data on My Smart TV?
A smart TV typically stores your Wi-Fi network name and password, logged-in sessions for Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube and similar, your viewing history, any payment details saved for in-app purchases, and on voice-enabled sets, voice assistant settings and sometimes stored recordings. On sets signed into a Samsung, LG, or Google account, that account stays linked until you remove it.
If the set is broken and won’t power on, you can’t reset it, bring it in and tell us. For any device where the data matters more, our hard drive destruction service covers storage media specifically. You can call us at (619) 889-1305 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
Before you recycle a smart TV:
What Happens to My TV After I Recycle It?
Your TV is carefully dismantled and separated for responsible material recovery.
Monitor Recycling
Computer TV Monitor Recycling in San Diego
We also accept computer monitors free of charge at all six locations. LED, LCD, and OLED panels of any size, ultrawide and curved displays, touchscreens, portable monitors, and older CRT monitors, which carry the same leaded glass as tube televisions and the same industry-standard fee everywhere else.
Monitors follow the same route as televisions, sorted by panel technology, hazardous backlights and CRT tubes removed under permit, and the remaining metals, glass, and plastics recovered.
Clearing a whole workstation? We take the tower, keyboard, mouse, and cables at the same time. See computer recycling for the full desktop and server list.
Our closest recycling centers to you are 4009 Hicock St STE D, San Diego, CA 92110 and 819 Anita St, Chula Vista, CA 91911, both of which are completely FREE to drop off.
Our advanced data destruction methods guarantee that all sensitive information stored on your devices will be permanently and securely erased. You can rest easy knowing that your personal and business data will remain confidential throughout the recycling process.
Who Can Use Our television Recycling Services
From one old tube TV set in the garage to a hotel replacing every guest room TV, it's free either way.
Residents and Homeowners
Recycling a TV you replaced recently or an old tube set that's been sitting in the garage? We accept TVs of any size, brand, or condition for free recycling.
Businesses and Offices
We recycle conference room displays, lobby screens, restaurant TVs, and retail digital signage, with scheduled collection and recycling documentation available for businesses.
Hotels, Property Managers
From hotel TV upgrades to apartment renovation projects, we handle large volume collections for hotels, apartments, HOAs, student housing, and contractors, with documentation available.
How to Dispose of an Old TV in San Diego
An honest rundown, including the options that aren't us. Which one is right depends on whether the TV still works and how big it is.
Option 1: Free Drop-Off at a Certified Recycler
The fastest route for anything you can lift. Bring the TV to any of our six San Diego County locations, no appointment, no fee, any condition. Most drop-offs take under five minutes and our team unloads for you. Ask for a recycling receipt at the counter if you want one.
Option 2: Free Pickup for Large or Multiple TVs
Larger TVs may not fit in a car and require a two-person lift. We collect TVs from homes, offices, apartment buildings, and hotels across San Diego County at no cost. This service is also ideal for estate clearances, and anyone who cannot physically move the TV themselves.
Option 3: Donate a Working TV
If the television still works and is reasonably current, a local charity, school, church, or community centre may take it. Call ahead, most have size and age limits, and none of them can take a broken set. Donation keeps a working TV in service, which is a better outcome than recycling it.
Option 4: Retailer and Manufacturer Take-Back
Some retailers and manufacturers run their own take-back programmes. Check the terms before you drive: many charge a fee per television, several exclude CRT and projection sets entirely, and some only accept a trade-in against a new purchase.
Free TV Recycling
What Is TV Recycling and Disposal?
TV recycling is the process of collecting an unwanted television, separating it into recoverable material streams, and handling the hazardous components under permit so that nothing harmful reaches a landfill.
Televisions are among the most regulated items in the e-waste stream, and the reason is what’s inside the screen. A CRT tube contains several pounds of leaded glass. LCD panels use mercury containing backlights in older models. Circuit boards carry brominated flame retardants. All of it is hazardous once crushed and buried, and all of it is recoverable when handled properly.
In California, televisions are classified as covered electronic devices under the Electronic Waste Recycling Act, and they cannot legally be placed in household trash, a commercial dumpster, or a curbside recycling bin. That applies to residents and businesses equally.
HOW WE WORK
Frequently Asked Questions
TV Recycling Services | Safe & Responsible Disposal
Recycle your old TVs safely and responsibly with Dream E-Waste’s convenient TV recycling services.
We responsibly recycle old electronics to help reduce waste and recover valuable materials.