How to Dispose of an Old TV, Computer or E-Waste in Adelaide

Upgraded the TV? Found three dead laptops and a box of cables in the cupboard? E-waste can’t just go in the bin in South Australia — but getting rid of it properly is usually free and easy once you know where to go.

The rule: e-waste is banned from landfill in SA

According to the EPA, since 1 September 2013 South Australia has banned televisions, computers, whitegoods, fluorescent lighting and other e-waste (things like vacuum cleaners, hairdryers and electric drills) from direct disposal to landfill. In practice, that means:

• No e-waste in your general waste bin — or in your recycling or green bin.
• If it has a plug, a cord or a battery, it needs to go somewhere that recycles it.

E-waste contains materials such as heavy metals and glass that become an environmental hazard if broken, but much of what’s inside a TV or computer can be recovered and reused.

Where to take e-waste in the north-east

NAWMA Resource Recovery Centres

NAWMA’s centres at Pooraka (63–75 Research Road) and Edinburgh North (5A Bellchambers Road) list TVs and computers as free to drop off. They also take metal, car batteries, household batteries and fluorescent tubes free of charge. Note that NAWMA’s centres don’t accept cash, if you’re dropping off anything that does carry a fee.

Unplug ‘N’ Drop and other e-waste sites

The City of Tea Tree Gully points residents to Unplug ‘N’ Drop sites (listed on the Electronic Recycling Australia website) for TVs, computers, monitors, projectors and printers. Other transfer stations and recyclers across Adelaide also accept e-waste — some free, some for a fee — so check before you go.

Household chemical drop-off depots (for batteries)

Green Industries SA’s free household chemical and paint depots — including the one at NAWMA Edinburgh North and the Campbelltown Works Depot on Newton Road — accept household batteries and products with embedded batteries, plus light globes. See our guide to paint and chemical disposal for the full list.

What your council hard waste will take

This is where people get caught out, because the councils differ:

• Tea Tree Gully hard waste accepts white goods and some electrical equipment, but excludes e-waste — TVs, computers, monitors, projectors and printers, including parts and accessories.
• NAWMA councils (Salisbury, Playford and Gawler) list “electrical items (anything with a cord)” as suitable for hard waste, along with fridges, stoves, washing machines and small kitchen appliances.

Council rules change from year to year, so check the current list before you book. Our guide to council hard waste vs private removal covers the limits and wait times.

Before you get rid of a computer or phone

Your old devices hold a lot of personal information. Before anything leaves the house:

1. Back up photos, documents and anything else you want to keep.
2. Sign out of accounts — email, cloud storage, app stores and password managers.
3. Factory reset phones, tablets and laptops. For an old desktop, consider removing the hard drive and keeping it, or having it securely wiped.
4. Take out memory cards and SIM cards.
5. Remove loose batteries where you can, and keep them separate.

Batteries: keep them out of the bin

Lithium batteries in phones, laptops, power tools, vapes and toys can be damaged when bins are emptied and compacted, and damaged lithium batteries can catch fire. Keep them out of every kerbside bin:

• Tape over the terminals of loose batteries.
• Store them in a cool, dry container until you drop them off.
• Swollen or damaged batteries should be handled carefully and dropped off as soon as possible.

Can it be reused instead?

Before recycling, consider whether someone else could use it:

• Working TVs, monitors and appliances can often be sold or given away locally.
• Some charities accept working electrical items — call first, as many need them tested and tagged.
• NAWMA’s Edinburgh North site also has a salvage shop on site.

Whitegoods are different

Fridges, freezers, washing machines, dryers and ovens are mostly steel, so they go to metal recycling. NAWMA lists metal as free to drop off — but a fridge is heavy, awkward and usually needs a trailer and two people. Our appliance removal service carries them out and takes them to be recycled for scrap metal. Old fridges should be defrosted and dried out before they go, and doors should be removed or secured if one is left anywhere a child could climb inside.

Fluorescent tubes and light globes

Fluorescent lighting is also covered by SA’s landfill ban. NAWMA lists fluorescent tubes as free to drop off, and Green Industries SA’s household chemical depots accept light globes. Handle tubes carefully so they don’t break.

When it makes sense to book a pick-up

Dropping off a single TV is easy if you have a car. A removal service saves the trip when:

• There’s a lot of it — an office upgrade, a garage full of old electricals, or a deceased estate.
• It’s heavy — old CRT TVs, big projectors, whitegoods.
• It’s mixed in with furniture and general junk that’s going too.
• You don’t have a vehicle that will fit it.

We take e-waste and appliances along with general rubbish, and sort it as we load so it ends up at the right facility, not in landfill. We also do clear-outs for offices and shops — see commercial rubbish removal.

Clear it out in one go

If your e-waste is part of a bigger clean-out, we can take the lot. Check we cover your suburb on our areas we service page, then send us a photo of what’s going for an upfront price.