E-waste refers to electronics that are either sold, donated, recycled, or discarded by their original owners. It is important that these items are not simply thrown away because they contain harmful substances that can leak into the environment. Recycling e-waste also conserves natural resources, reduces water and air pollution, and eliminates greenhouse gases that would have been produced from manufacturing another product.

If you are a student on campus, you can drop off batteries and small electronics such as MP3 players, PDAs, and cell phones to our Sullivan site at 620 Motor Pool Dr. If you are a faculty or staff member, you can contact surplus to recycle any NCSU electronics. Aside from accepting the electronics for recycling, NCSU also holds e-waste events where anyone can bring their electronics to be recycled for free ($5 for TVs). These events are usually held in November and March.

Larger electronics can be taken to the Wake County Landfill. Click here for their hours and list of acceptable materials.

The City of Raleigh will collect computers and their parts for free. Their website also gives a list of charitable organizations that you can donate your computer to. Click here for more information about how to make an appointment and what they accept.

The EPA has also started a “Plug into eCycling” program to promote electronics recycling. As part of this, a TV recycling challenge has been created for manufacturers of televisions. Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, and Toshiba have all agreed to accept used TVs for free at certain locations. Click here for more information about the program and for a list of locations.

If the item is still in working condition, try using craigslist.com or freecycle.com to sell or give away the item.

WRR also holds a "Pack-N-Go" sale every year after the students move out. Items may also be donated for the sale.