Quick answer
Schools can recycle old computers, laptops, Chromebooks, monitors, projectors, networking gear and AV equipment through an electronics recycling pick up. The key steps: inventory the equipment, remove it from your asset and device-management systems, handle student and staff data securely, and use a recycler with certified downstream partners. Many school pick ups are free; TVs and CRT monitors usually cost extra.
Schools collect technology fast: computer labs, teacher laptops, student Chromebooks, projectors, document cameras, printers and closets of “we might need this someday”. When it’s finally time to clear it out, a little planning keeps the process secure, compliant and inexpensive.
Step 1: Take inventory
Walk each storage room and list what you have. Rough counts are enough:
- Desktops and towers, laptops, Chromebooks and tablets
- Monitors (note any CRT monitors or TVs, which carry a fee)
- Projectors, document cameras, speakers and AV equipment
- Printers, copiers and scanners
- Networking gear, switches, wireless access points and UPS units
- Cables, chargers and carts
If your district tracks assets by tag number, export the list now. You’ll want it for records.
Step 2: Update your systems
Before devices leave the building:
- Mark them as retired in your asset or inventory system
- Release them from device management so they don’t stay locked to your district
- Remove them from licensing for software tied to specific devices
Step 3: Protect student and staff data
Old computers and laptops can contain student records, staff files, saved passwords and email. Reformatting doesn’t remove that data.
You have two options:
- Wipe and verify drives you plan to reuse or donate, using a recognized sanitization method
- Physically destroy drives that are being retired, the most certain option
We offer hard drive destruction with a documented chain of custody, and on written request we provide a Letter of Responsibility for Destruction for your files. (What is a letter of destruction?)
Step 4: Stage the equipment
Gather everything in one room or near a loading door. Keep accepted electronics separate from items recyclers can’t take, like ink and toner cartridges, appliances and light bulbs. Our accepted items list has the details.
Step 5: Schedule the pick up
Our electronics recycling pick up is perfect for schools clearing out old labs and equipment. There’s never a charge for picking up e-waste as long as we cover our costs; TVs, CRT monitors and hard drive shredding carry a fee. Everything we collect goes to four R2-certified recyclers.
A quick checklist for school IT teams
- Inventory complete (with asset tags if you have them)
- Devices retired in asset and device-management systems
- Decision made on each drive: wipe and reuse, or destroy
- Equipment staged in one place
- Non-accepted items separated
- Pick up scheduled during a break, if possible
Serving schools across Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties, plus Trenton and Mount Holly, NJ. Request a pick up and we’ll reply within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for a school e-waste pick up?
Summer break and winter break are popular, after technology refreshes and before new equipment arrives. Booking ahead helps.
What about student data on old devices?
Any device with a hard drive or SSD may hold student or staff records. Physical hard drive destruction, with a letter of destruction on written request, is the most certain approach.
Do we need to remove devices from our management console?
It’s a good idea. Releasing devices from your device-management and asset systems keeps your records accurate and makes the equipment easier to recycle.
Do you take old projectors and AV equipment?
Yes, video and audio equipment is accepted. TVs and CRT monitors carry a haul-away fee.
Sources
- Electronics Donation and Recycling, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- NIST Special Publication 800-88: Guidelines for Media Sanitization, National Institute of Standards and Technology
Written by The E-Waste Haul Away Team
We pick up unwanted computers and electronics from businesses and schools across Greater Philadelphia and make sure they're recycled responsibly through R2-certified partners, with secure handling for anything that holds data. About us
