Electronics recycling near Milwaukee: a complete guide

Whether you're clearing out an old laptop, ditching a dusty DVD player, or finally getting rid of that ancient CRT television taking up space in your basement, the North Shore has more electronics recycling options than you might think. From free community drop-off events in Whitefish Bay and Fox Point to year-round programs in Glendale and Shorewood, there are plenty of ways to responsibly get rid of unwanted electronics without ever paying a dime.

Just don't count on the MMSD hazardous waste events or Ozaukee County's Clean Sweep — neither accepts electronics. And it's worth knowing that Wisconsin law bans TVs, computers, monitors, printers, and many other devices from landfills entirely, so proper disposal isn't just good practice — it's the law.

Spring 2026 community recycling events

"Recycle Day in the Bay" is WFB's major annual spring event, historically held the first Saturday in May. The expected 2026 date is Saturday, May 2, from 9:00 AM–12:00 PM at Dominican High School's west parking lot (enter at 5628 N Bay Ridge). This free event, partnered with COM2 Recycling Solutions and Goodwill Industries, accepts CRT and LCD TVs and monitors, home PCs, laptops, tablets, printers, scanners, fax machines, cell phones, cameras, DVD players, gaming systems, microwaves, stereos, vacuums, exercise equipment, and more. It also collects clothing, books, housewares, tools, and bicycles for reuse. The 2026 page has not yet been posted — monitor www.wfbvillage.gov for confirmation.

Whitefish Bay quarterly COM2 events are smaller drop-offs held roughly every three months at the Public Works Department parking lot (155 W Fairmount Ave), typically 9:00–11:00 AM, free. The January 2026 event has already passed. Based on the quarterly pattern, a spring date (April or May) is likely but not yet announced. Check the WFB village calendar at wfbvillage.gov/Calendar.aspx.

Bayside holds an annual "Recycling Day" at the Public Works parking lot, typically 9:00–11:30 AM, accepting electronics, scrap metal, textiles, and more. TV disposal fees apply. The 2026 date has not been announced — check baysidewi.gov/events for updates.

Communities that no longer host their own events: Both Mequon and Cedarburg have discontinued their community recycling events due to vendor changes. Cedarburg replaced its program with a reimbursement model (detailed below). Mequon directs residents to Refrigerant Depot LLC, which accepts drop-offs Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:00 PM with no residency requirement. No spring 2026 events were found for Brown Deer, River Hills, Port Washington, Grafton, Saukville, or Thiensville.

Year-round municipal drop-offs

Two North Shore communities operate ongoing electronics recycling that doesn't require waiting for a special event.

Glendale's City Services building at 5930 N Glen Park Road accepts electronics year-round, Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM. Most items are free — including computers, laptops, printers, cell phones, game systems, keyboards, mice, VCRs, DVD players, small appliances, microwaves, stereos, and power tools. TVs and monitors cost $40 each, payable at Glendale City Hall before drop-off. Glendale residents only.

Shorewood's DPW Transfer Station at 3801 N Morris Blvd operates on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month, 8:00 AM–2:00 PM (April through November). They accept anything that "plugs into an outlet or runs on batteries." TVs and monitors carry $25–$50 fees depending on size. Open to both Shorewood and Whitefish Bay residents with proof of residency.

Best Buy, Goodwill, and other retail drop-offs

Best Buy Fox Point at 8755 N Port Washington Rd is the most convenient all-purpose option for North Shore residents. Most consumer electronics are accepted free with no purchase required — including cell phones, tablets, laptops (limit 5/day), desktops, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners, DVD/Blu-ray players, cameras, game consoles, routers, and cables. TVs and monitors 50" and under carry a $29.99 fee, but Best Buy issues a $30 gift card as reimbursement, making it effectively free. The daily limit is 3 items per household. A second Best Buy at 8875 N 76th St (near Brown Deer) offers the same program. Note: there is no Staples store anywhere in the Milwaukee metro area — the nearest is in Beaver Dam.

Goodwill accepts electronics as donations at multiple locations near the North Shore. The Oakland Avenue location (2830 N Oakland Ave) and Grafton location (1715 Wisconsin Ave) are closest. Goodwill takes flat-panel TVs, computers, phones, tablets, gaming consoles, and cameras for free but does not accept CRT televisions. Working items are resold; non-working items are recycled through their Dell Reconnect partnership.

Milwaukee PC has stores in both Glendale (100 E Capitol Dr, Suite 134) and Mequon (10914 N Port Washington Rd), offering free recycling for computer-specific items: desktops, laptops, hard drives, keyboards, mice, networking equipment, and cables. Printers and monitors carry modest fees ($3–$15 for most). They do not accept TVs, VCRs, or DVD players.

STS Electronic Recycling downtown at 250 E Wisconsin Ave is a standout — completely free drop-off Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM, accepting virtually all consumer electronics including TVs, with no apparent quantity limits. They're R2 and NAID AAA certified and also offer free pickup throughout Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Ozaukee counties for larger quantities.

What MMSD and Ozaukee County events do not cover

A common misconception deserves emphasis: MMSD's Household Hazardous Waste program does not accept electronics. Their three permanent sites and four 2026 one-day events explicitly exclude computers, TVs, stereos, and microwaves. They handle paints, chemicals, batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and similar hazardous materials. The MMSD event of greatest North Shore interest is August 15, 2026 at Nicolet High School in Glendale (8:00 AM–2:00 PM) — useful for hazardous waste but not electronics.

Similarly, the Ozaukee County Clean Sweep on May 2, 2026 (8:00 AM–12:00 PM at 1221 Hilltop Drive, Cedarburg) does not accept electronics or appliances this year. It handles hazardous waste and tires only ($20 per vehicle). The county directs electronics recycling questions to individual municipalities.

Wisconsin's E-Cycle program

Wisconsin Act 50 established the E-Cycle Wisconsin program in 2010, a manufacturer-funded statewide collection and recycling system. Since inception, nearly 420 million pounds of electronics have been recycled. The program maintains an interactive map of registered collection sites at wisconsindnr.shinyapps.io/EcycleCollectorSite, searchable by county.

Items banned from Wisconsin landfills and incinerators include TVs (7" screen or larger), computers (desktop, laptop, tablet), monitors, desktop printers, computer peripherals (keyboards, mice, scanners, external drives), DVD/VCR/video players, fax machines, cell phones, video game consoles, and all major appliances. Notably, stereos, cameras, and MP3 players are not banned but are still recyclable.

Cedarburg Light & Water Utility now offers a reimbursement program as a creative alternative: customers drop electronics at any recycler, submit the receipt, and receive up to a $50 bill credit (one per customer per year, first-come-first-served).

Key recommendations and what to do next

For the broadest, no-cost electronics recycling, the best options in order of convenience are:

• Fox Point COM2 event, April 25 — free, wide range of items, already on your calendar

• Whitefish Bay "Recycle Day in the Bay," likely May 2 — free, very broad acceptance including reusable goods; confirm date at wfbvillage.gov

• Best Buy Fox Point — year-round, most items free, TVs effectively free with gift card offset; daily limits apply

• STS Electronic Recycling downtown — year-round weekdays, everything free including TVs

• Glendale City Services — year-round weekdays, free except $40 for TVs/monitors; residents only

For CRT televisions specifically, the Fox Point and Whitefish Bay events or STS Electronic Recycling are the best free options, since Best Buy charges for monitors/TVs and Goodwill won't take CRTs at all. Monitor the Bayside village website and WFB calendar for additional spring event announcements that may not yet be posted.