NOTE: Due to the closure of Penn Libraries buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tech Center is not accepting e-waste materials until further notice. For updates on when the Tech Center will re-open and begin accepting e-waste, please visit the Tech Center page.
Many types of computer-related and everyday household items contain materials which are harmful to the environment if they are not disposed of properly. In an effort to help ensure these items are recycled and/or disposed in an environmentally friendly manner, the Tech Center provides an e-waste recycling service for students. This service is available free of charge. Items just need to brought to the Tech Center during normal walk-in hours or by appointment. To schedule an appointment, please call (215) 898-9720.
Examples of e-waste the can be recycled through the Tech Center include:
- Computers
- Tablets
- Printers
- Monitors & Displays
- Keyboards & Mice
- Cell phones & cell phone batteries
- Printer toner & inkjet cartridges
- Batteries
- Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs)
Items that cannot be recycled through this service include kitchen appliances, "white goods" (e.g., refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners), mechanical equipment, and other types of machinery. Please contact the Tech Center at (215) 898-9720 if you have a question about whether an item can be recycled through the Tech Center or not.
To protect you and your data, hard drives that can be removed from computers will be destroyed by the Tech Center prior to being recycled. The Tech Center has a degausser and drive crusher on-site for this purpose. When you drop of your old computer, you will be given the option of having the hard drive returned to you or witness its destruction.
E-waste brought to the Tech Center is recycled by Elemental, Inc., a computer recycling center located in Philadelphia. Elemental, Inc is fully licensed and permitted by the PA Department of Environmental Protection and the US Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information about what you can do to "green up" your computer operations by reducing energy consumption and producing less e-waste, please see the Green IT section of this website.