How to Dispose of a TV & Electronics in the Shoals

Why Electronics Need Special Handling

Televisions, monitors, computers and other electronics contain materials - lead, mercury, and various circuit-board metals - that make them a poor fit for ordinary landfill trash. Older tube (CRT) TVs and monitors are especially heavy and contain leaded glass. The good news is that these devices are highly recyclable: the metals, glass and plastics can be recovered and reused, and the Shoals has drop-off options that make it easy to do the right thing.

Option 1: The Florence Electronics Recycling Drop-Off

The City of Florence operates a recycling center that accepts electronics for recycling. The city has offered an electronics drop-off where residents can bring items like TVs, computer towers, monitors, printers, cell phones and copy machines - working or not - and place them in a dedicated electronics container. This is one of the most convenient options in the region. Because hours and accepted-item lists can change, confirm the current location, hours and any limits with the city before you load up.

Option 2: Keep the Shoals Beautiful

Keep the Shoals Beautiful, the local affiliate that promotes recycling across the area, accepts electronics for drop-off recycling (note that they focus on electronics rather than small household appliances). They are a good local resource for finding where various recyclables go in the Shoals. Check their current recycling-location list for what is accepted and when.

Option 3: Retailer and Manufacturer Take-Back

Several national retailers run in-store electronics recycling for common items like cables, phones, small devices and sometimes TVs within certain size limits. Manufacturers also offer mail-back and trade-in programs for computers and phones. If your device still works or is only a few years old, a trade-in may even put a little money back in your pocket. Wipe and factory-reset any device that stored personal data before you hand it off.

Option 4: Donate Working Electronics

A working flat-screen TV, laptop or desktop can find a second home. Thrift and reuse outlets in the Shoals - such as the Salvation Army thrift store in Florence - may accept functioning electronics; call first, since many will not take non-working or older tube TVs. Donating keeps usable gear in service and out of the recycling stream entirely.

Option 5: Full-Service Pickup

If you have a heavy old console TV, a pile of dead monitors, or you are clearing out an office, hauling e-waste yourself is a chore. Our TV and electronics removal service carries the equipment out and routes it to electronics recycling rather than the landfill wherever possible. This is the easy button for big CRTs, back-of-the-closet tech graveyards and whole-office refreshes. Call or text (256) 967-3054.

Protect Your Data First

• Computers and phones: back up anything you want, then factory-reset or wipe the drive. For sensitive data, physically removing and destroying the drive is the surest method.
• Smart TVs: sign out of your streaming accounts and do a factory reset so the next handler cannot access them.
• Printers and networking gear: clear saved Wi-Fi passwords and stored documents where applicable.

Quick Reference

Last verified August 2026. Municipal and nonprofit recycling programs change their hours and accepted items; confirm current details before making a trip.

What Happens to Recycled Electronics

Certified e-waste recyclers do far more than shred a TV. Devices are sorted, tested for reuse where possible, and otherwise broken down so their materials can be recovered - the gold, copper and other metals on circuit boards, the aluminum and steel in housings, the leaded glass in old tube sets, and the plastics. Recovering these materials keeps toxic components out of the ground and reduces the need to mine virgin metals. That is the real reason to route a TV to recycling instead of the trash: it is both safer and genuinely useful.

Clearing Out an Office or Business

Electronics pile up fast in a workplace - a stack of retired monitors in a closet, a server room refresh, a pile of old desk phones and printers after an upgrade. We handle commercial e-waste cleanouts across the Shoals, hauling the whole batch at once so your team does not have to make repeated drop-off trips. For businesses with data-security requirements, wipe or remove drives before pickup, and we will route the hardware to recycling.

Don't Forget the Cables and Batteries

The tangle of old chargers, HDMI cables, power strips and dead batteries counts as e-waste too. Cords and small electronics are widely accepted at recycling drop-offs, and many retailers keep bins for batteries specifically. Bundle them up with your larger items rather than sending them to the landfill loose.

Sources

• City of Florence - Recycle Right
• Keep the Shoals Beautiful - Recycling Locations
• US EPA - Electronics Donation and Recycling