Two minutes finds a TV drop-off near you: Earth911 by ZIP code, your county’s electronics page, or a Best Buy desk at $29.99 a TV in most states. Those routes want small flat panels. The big sets and the tubes, the ones this search is actually about, we take from the curb: $129 and $249.
Scroll to compare all columns
| Route | Cost | Takes | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| County e-waste day | Free | Nearly everything, tubes included | A few dates a year, per-household caps |
| Permanent drop-off site | Free to a small charge | Varies by site | Hours and rules are set per site |
| Best Buy desk | $29.99 a TV in most states | Flat panels to 50 inches | Two TVs per household per day; call ahead |
| Dropcurb, from the curb | $79 under 42 inches, $129 over, $249 tube | Any TV, any condition | It costs money |
Finding a real drop-off takes about two minutes
Three searches cover it. Earth911 runs a recycling locator: put in your ZIP and the word television, and it lists certified drop-off sites near you, with hours. Your county’s own page is often better: search your county name plus electronics recycling, and the .gov result names the permanent site or the next collection day. For the retail route, Best Buy’s store locator finds your nearest desk: most electronics free, TVs $29.99 each in most states, up to 50 inches.
And the honest part: if your TV is a flat panel under 42 inches, use one of those. It rides across a back seat, one person can carry it, and nearly every list accepts it. Paying us $79 to skip a ten-minute errand is a bad trade, and we would rather you keep the money.
Before you load the car, read the acceptance list
Every drop-off publishes one, and they read like they were written about the TV in your hallway. Best Buy takes flat panels up to and including 50 inches, two TVs per household per day, and turns away anything bigger at the desk. Tube TVs are refused outright at many stores or held to a smaller cap. Policies are set per store and change without notice, which is why the call ahead is not a formality. Verified August 2026.
County sites keep their own versions. Some take tubes, some charge for them, some cap the count per visit. The event day takes nearly everything, tubes included, but it runs a few times a year with per-household limits, and the next date sits on the county’s calendar, not yours.
Notice the pattern: the smaller and lighter the TV, the more doors are open to it. Nobody types this search over a 24-inch panel that rides shotgun. The search happens because of the 55-inch that came off the wall, or the tube set that has been in the basement since flat screens took over. Those are exactly the two lines the lists exclude.
If yours is one the lists exclude, the number is already set: $129 for a TV 42 inches and up, $249 for a tube TV, $79 under 42 inches. Locked when you book, nothing added at the curb. 5.0 on Google across 150+ reviews, 4.9 on Trustpilot across 125+.
TV pickup, from $79What people say once the TV is gone
Tyler Bond had his couch gone 45 minutes after he booked, against a $250 quote from a mover. That speed is the norm, not the story: local haulers move more than 1,000 items a month, at 5.0 on Google across 150+ reviews and 4.9 on Trustpilot across 125+.
Why a tube TV is $249 when flat panels start at $79
The glass in a tube TV carries lead. That is why most states ban them from household trash, why so many drop-off lists draw the line at them, and why a certified processor has to take each one apart. The cost is per set, which is why our price does not fall for a second one: tube TV pickup is $249, every time.
The cheap route for a tube set is still the county event day, if the next date works for you and you have a second person, because the bigger ones run 80 to 150 pounds. If the date is months out, or the basement stairs are the problem, the curb price covers any tube TV in any condition, and somebody else does the carrying.
How the curb part actually works
Book first, then put the TV out. It does not have to be at the curb when you book, and the price cannot move once you have. Haulers head out between 8 and 10 in the morning; 48% of pickups are finished by noon and 74% by 2 PM. You get a text with the ETA before yours arrives, so you know when to set it out, and photos once it is gone.
Book by 2 PM and it goes today, seven days a week, in all 50 states. Nobody comes inside, and you do not need to be home. Leave the TV anywhere a hauler can reach from outside: a porch, a driveway, the curb.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I recycle a TV for free?
The county e-waste day is the free route that takes nearly everything, tube TVs usually included. Most counties run a few dates a year with per-household caps, and the county site lists the next one. For a year-round option, Earth911’s locator shows certified drop-off sites by ZIP; rules vary site to site, so check the listing before you drive.
Does Best Buy take old TVs?
With limits. The desk takes flat panels up to and including 50 inches at $29.99 each where the fee applies, two TVs per household per day, and refuses larger sets. Many stores refuse tube TVs. Verified August 2026 — policies are set per store and change without notice, so call yours before loading the car.
Can I just put the TV in the trash?
In most states, no. Electronics are banned from household trash, and tube TVs specifically because the glass contains lead. Collection crews generally leave a TV at the bin. The realistic routes are a drop-off site, a county event day, or a paid pickup from the curb.
How much does Dropcurb charge to pick up a TV?
$79 for a flat panel under 42 inches, $129 for 42 inches and up, and $249 for a tube TV. Extra TVs cost less: $19 for each additional small one, $39 for each additional large one; tube TVs stay $249 each. The price is fixed when you book and nothing is added at the curb.
Do I have to be home for the pickup?
No. Leave the TV anywhere a hauler can reach from outside — a porch, a driveway, the curb — and go about your day. You get a text with the ETA that morning and photos once the TV is gone. Nobody needs to come inside.