How to Dispose of a TV & Electronics in Bangor, Maine
Old TVs and electronics can't legally go in the trash in Maine. Here is what the law says, where to take e-waste around Greater Bangor, and how we handle the rest.
In Maine it is illegal to throw a TV, computer monitor, or other CRT device in the regular trash. The state runs a shared-responsibility e-waste program, so electronics go to a municipal collection site or a participating retailer for recycling, often free for households. For everything else in a cleanout, we haul the e-waste with the rest for an up-front price.
Maine's E-Waste Law: TVs and Monitors Can't Go in the Trash
Maine bans cathode ray tube (CRT) devices, which includes old tube TVs and computer monitors, from solid waste disposal. You cannot legally put them in your household trash, and transfer stations will turn them away from the regular pile. Flat-screen TVs, laptops, tablets, printers, and game consoles are also covered electronics under the state program.
Maine handles this through a shared-responsibility system. Towns provide collection sites, state-approved consolidators pick the devices up and recycle them, and the manufacturers foot the recycling bill. For most households that means dropping covered electronics off costs you little or nothing.
Where to Drop E-Waste Around Bangor
Your first stop is your town's electronics collection site or transfer station, which accepts covered electronics under the state program. Call ahead to confirm what they take, the hours, and whether there is any handling fee, since the specifics vary by town.
Some retailers and electronics recyclers also accept e-waste, and certain ones take items the municipal program does not cover. The Pine Tree (Casella) transfer station in Hampden handles a range of materials, so check there as well. Our Bangor dump and transfer station guide has more on local disposal.
CRT vs Flat-Screen: They're Handled Differently
Old CRT tube TVs and monitors are the heavy, deep ones, and they contain leaded glass, which is exactly why Maine bans them from the trash and why they are the most important to recycle properly. They are also a pain to move because of the weight.
Flat-screen TVs, laptops, tablets, and the rest are lighter and also covered by the program, but they should never be tossed either. The metals and components are recoverable, and dumping them wastes that and breaks the rules.
When We Haul the Electronics With Everything Else
If a single old TV is your only item, dropping it at the town collection site yourself is usually the simplest and cheapest route. Where we earn our keep is the cleanout, when the e-waste is buried in a basement, a garage, or a whole estate full of other junk.
On those jobs we take the TVs, computers, printers, and the rest of the e-waste drawer along with the furniture and clutter, and route the electronics into the proper recycling stream rather than the landfill. It all comes out in one trip, at one up-front price. See what we take for the full list.
Common questions
Can you throw away a TV in Maine?
No. Maine law bans CRT devices like old tube TVs and computer monitors from the regular trash, and flat-screen TVs are covered electronics too. They have to go to a municipal collection site or a participating recycler under the state's e-waste program, which is often free for households.
Where do I recycle electronics in the Bangor area?
Start with your town's electronics collection site or transfer station, which accepts covered electronics under Maine's program. Call ahead to confirm what they take and the hours. Some retailers and recyclers accept e-waste too. For a cleanout, we can haul the electronics with everything else.
Is it free to recycle a TV in Maine?
For most households, dropping covered electronics like TVs and monitors at a municipal collection site is free or low-cost, because Maine's program bills the manufacturers for the recycling. Confirm with your town, since some sites charge a small handling fee on certain items.
What electronics are covered by Maine's e-waste law?
Televisions, computer monitors, laptops, tablets, e-readers, printers, game consoles, and other devices with screens at least four inches across. CRT tube TVs and monitors are specifically banned from solid waste because of the leaded glass.
Will you take old electronics during a cleanout?
Yes. On a junk removal or cleanout job we haul TVs, computers, printers, and other e-waste along with the rest and route the electronics into proper recycling. Send us the details or email [email protected] for an up-front price by load size.
Helpful next steps
E-Waste Piling Up?
Send us the details or email [email protected] and we will haul the electronics with the rest of your cleanout, recycled the right way.