Denver has no free city-run electronics drop-off. What the City and County of Denver offers instead is an E-cycle Coupon: one per household per calendar year, which cuts the fee at Blue Star Recyclers, the city's e-Stewards certified partner at 953 Decatur Street. Computers, laptops, tablets and phones are free at Blue Star with or without the coupon; TVs, monitors and mixed electronics are charged by the pound. Best Buy and Staples take most small items free. Since 1 July 2013 it has been illegal in Colorado to put a TV, computer, printer or games console in the trash. Every address, hour and fee below was checked against the source on 25 August 2026.
Denver's E-cycle Coupon: how it works
Denver Solid Waste Management issues the coupon through an online form on denvergov.org and emails the code, usually within minutes and at most within 24 hours. The rules are strict:
- Denver County residents only. Businesses, people outside the City and County of Denver, and PO box addresses are not eligible.
- One coupon per household per calendar year.
- Drop-off only; it cannot be used for a pickup.
- Bring proof of address and the code. Blue Star checks both.
The city describes the coupon as a "significantly discounted rate" on TVs, monitors and other electronics rather than free recycling, and does not publish the discount amount, so ask Blue Star for the coupon price when you book. Items the coupon program lists as accepted: televisions, monitors, desktop computers, laptops, printers, scanners, fax machines, keyboards, mice, stereos, external drives, coffee makers, vacuums, blenders, toasters, cell phones, telephones, DVRs, VCRs, digital cameras, MP3 players, video game consoles, rechargeable batteries, sprinkler control boxes, wires and cables, and small appliances such as microwaves. Not accepted: air conditioners, refrigerators and other large appliances, garbage disposals, humidifiers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, pressurized canisters, oil or gas devices, fluorescent bulbs, neon signs, car batteries, and button or household alkaline batteries.
Blue Star Recyclers, 953 Decatur Street: hours and prices
Blue Star Recyclers is a Denver 501(c)(3) social enterprise that employs people with autism and other disabilities, and it is the recycler the city's coupon points to. No appointment is needed for residential drop-off.
| Detail | |
|---|
| Address | 953 Decatur Street, Suite C, Denver, CO 80204 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm; Saturday 9 am to 1 pm |
| Certification | e-Stewards |
| Data | Data-bearing devices are shredded or wiped; a Certificate of Destruction is $12 per item |
Blue Star's published residential price list (August 2026, before any coupon):
| Item | Price |
|---|
| Computer, laptop, tablet or cell phone | Free |
| Mixed electronics (printers, consoles, stereos, small appliances) | $0.79 per lb |
| LCD or CRT display | $0.79 per lb |
| Projection TV or wooden console TV | $0.89 per lb |
| Broken CRT | $1.10 per lb |
| Batteries, most types | $5.00 per lb |
| Lithium primary batteries | $8.50 per lb |
| CFL, halogen or incandescent bulb | $0.75 each |
| Straight fluorescent tube | $0.50 per foot |
| VHS tapes and CDs | $3.00 per lb |
A 40-inch flat-screen weighing around 25 lb therefore costs about $20 at the list rate; a 32-inch CRT at 60 lb about $47. Blue Star explains the fees as the cost of e-Stewards handling and living-wage jobs, and the city coupon exists to soften exactly these charges.
Retail drop-off in Denver: Best Buy, Staples, Home Depot
| Store | Takes | Cost | Limits |
|---|
| Best Buy | Flat-panel TVs and monitors up to 50 inches, laptops, desktops, phones, cables, hard drives, battery backups, stick and robot vacuums, fans, space heaters | Most items free; Best Buy says "some items may incur a recycling fee" and lists TV and monitor terms by state | Best Buy's page currently states both "up to ten items per household per day" and "limit three items per household per day" in different sections. Residents only, no business equipment, no recalled products |
| Staples | Computers, laptops, tablets, phones, hard drives, routers and modems, small servers, shredders, gaming consoles, cables, ink and toner | Free | No TVs on the accepted list |
| Home Depot and Lowe's | Rechargeable batteries and power-tool packs through Call2Recycle bins | Free | Not a drop-off for computers or TVs |
For anything without a screen, the retailers are usually the cheaper route than a per-pound recycler.
Other Denver recyclers
| Recycler | Address | Notes |
|---|
| Metech Recycling | 500 W 53rd Place, Denver, CO 80216, (720) 377-7700 | Business and institutional volumes, certified data destruction |
| Forerunner Recycling | Westminster | Business pickups; free for most commercial clients because equipment is resold |
Older directories list Denver recyclers that have since closed or lost their domains, including Luminous Recycling, Guaranteed Recycling Xperts and ittodo; Action Computers' website was carrying injected spam on the day we checked and is not listed here. Bing Places shows several more Denver-area recycling centers (IT Investment Recoveries on W 52nd Ave, iRecycleHere in Sheridan, Genesis Electronics Recycling in Aurora, SUMA Recycling in Commerce City); we have not verified their residential terms, so call before you go.
What Colorado law says
Colorado's Electronic Recycling Jobs Act (SB 12-133, signed 20 April 2012) banned electronics from landfills from 1 July 2013. The statute, C.R.S. 25-17-303, applies to televisions, computer CPUs, monitors and peripherals, printers, fax machines, laptops, notebooks and netbooks, tablets, DVD players, VCRs, radios, stereos, video game consoles and any video display device with a screen larger than four inches diagonally. Landfills, transfer stations and waste haulers must post a notice and refuse the items, which is why a TV left in a Denver alley stays there.
Unlike Texas or Illinois, Colorado's law does not force manufacturers to fund free collection, which is why Denver residents pay per pound and the city offers a coupon instead of a free site.
TVs in Denver
- Flat-screen up to 50 inches: Best Buy (fee may apply) or Blue Star at $0.79 per lb, less with the coupon.
- CRT or projection set: Blue Star at $0.79 to $1.10 per lb, or the manufacturer's own take-back program if the brand still runs one. Use the coupon here; it is the item it was designed for.
- Working TV: sell or donate it first. Recycling is the last option.
Before you drop off a computer or phone
The city's own advice is to delete personal files and reinstall the operating system to factory settings before handing anything over. Sign out of Apple, Google, Microsoft and Samsung accounts first, back up what you need, then reset. On an older spinning hard drive, overwrite it with a wipe tool or pull the drive. Blue Star shreds or wipes drives as standard; the $12 certificate is only needed if you want paperwork. Our factory reset guide covers every major device.
Is it worth money instead?
A working phone, tablet or laptop under about six years old usually has a buyer, and in Denver that also avoids a per-pound fee. Check this month's buyback prices in the Trade-In Price Index or run your model through the Device Value Checker before recycling. Broken devices can be priced with the Scrap Value Calculator.
Nearby cities
Sources
- City and County of Denver, Electronic Recycling / E-cycle Coupon Program (denvergov.org, My-Property/Recycle-Compost-Trash/Recycle/Electronic-Recycling), eligibility rules, accepted and not-accepted lists, landfill ban summary and partner statement, checked 25 August 2026
- Blue Star Recyclers, For Residents page (bluestarrecyclers.org), address, hours and price list, checked 25 August 2026
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, information for landfill operators and waste haulers on the electronics landfill ban; C.R.S. 25-17-303 (SB 12-133), checked 25 August 2026
- Metech Recycling and Forerunner Recycling company websites, checked 25 August 2026
- Best Buy, Electronics and Appliances Recycling program page, checked 25 August 2026
- Staples, Recycling Services in-store accepted items list, checked 25 August 2026
- Bing Places listings for Denver-area recycling centers, checked 25 August 2026
