AVA E-RECYCLING
An STS Company
Industrial shredder processing mixed electronic waste
E-Waste Recycling

Old Electronics Recycling — Mixed E-Waste Accepted

VCRs, gaming consoles, cables, small appliances — the stuff municipal programs turn away and the trash company can't take. We accept all of it. Free pickup across Chicagoland, no sorting required.

Schedule a PickupFind a Drop-Off
Free for most itemsResidential & business
Business pickupChicagoland area
Batteries handledSeparate recycling stream
Mixed loads OKNo sorting required
Why It Matters

Illinois bans most of this from the landfill — but accessible recycling is hard to find

6.9M tons
E-waste generated in the US annually — less than 25% is formally recycled
U.S. EPA — Advancing Sustainable Materials Management, 2023
Illinois CEA
Consumer Electronics Recycling Act bans covered devices from landfills — VCRs, gaming consoles, and more are on the list
415 ILCS 150 — Illinois Consumer Electronics Recycling Act
Free drop-off
Available at our Addison facility and partner locations across Chicagoland — no appointment required for small loads
What We Handle

One stop for everything that doesn't fit the standard e-waste list

Old electronics — the stuff that falls between clearly defined categories — is some of the hardest e-waste to dispose of responsibly. VCRs and DVD players, gaming consoles from the 1990s through today, AV receivers, cable boxes, cordless phones, power supplies, and bags of mixed cables are exactly what municipal drop-off programs often turn away, and what regular trash companies can't legally accept.

AVA Recycling accepts all of it. Bring your mixed loads to our Addison facility or schedule a pickup if you have a larger quantity. We sort everything on arrival — pulling batteries for battery-specific recycling, routing lamps through EPA-compliant lamp processors, recovering metals from circuit boards, and responsibly managing plastics.

Illinois law prohibits many of these items from landfills, but without accessible recycling options most end up there anyway. AVA fills that gap for households doing a cleanout, businesses clearing break rooms or storage areas, and facilities managers retiring decades of accumulated equipment.

Recovered server and electronics components staged for recycling
The Items Between the Categories

A practical outlet for mixed household and business electronics

Responsible recycling should be understandable before the truck arrives, even when the load includes decades of accumulated equipment.

01

What belongs in a mixed old-electronics load

Old electronics are often the items that do not fit neatly into a municipal collection list: VCRs, DVD and Blu-ray players, cable boxes, game consoles, stereo receivers, cordless phones, power supplies, chargers, adapters, and bags of mixed cables. These items still contain circuit boards, copper, aluminum, steel, plastics, batteries, or other components worth separating from the landfill stream.

You do not need to build a perfect sort before scheduling. Tell us whether the load is from a household cleanout, office, school, retail operation, apartment turnover, or facility project. We can help determine whether pickup or drop-off is the better fit and identify any items that require a separate route, such as lamps, large appliances, or data-bearing devices.

  • VCRs, DVD players, receivers, cable boxes, and AV equipment
  • Gaming consoles, controllers, handhelds, and accessories
  • Chargers, adapters, UPS units, cables, and small electronic appliances
02

Sorting happens after the load arrives

Mixed e-waste does not mean mixed disposal. At the facility, items can be separated into batteries, lamps, circuit-board equipment, ferrous metals, non-ferrous metals, plastics, and components that need specialized downstream processing. That approach is more useful than asking customers to guess which material belongs in which bin before they know what is inside it.

For businesses, the same pickup can include standard computers and monitors alongside the harder-to-place items. For residents, smaller loads can use an Addison drop-off or a participating location. If a device may contain storage, mention it when scheduling so it can be routed for data destruction rather than ordinary recycling.

  • Batteries and lamps separated into dedicated recycling streams
  • Circuit boards and metals routed for material recovery
  • No sorting required before a mixed-load pickup or drop-off
From Cleanout to Material Recovery

A mixed load can still have a disciplined recycling plan

You do not need to know every component inside an old device. You do need a clear handoff, honest item list, and appropriate route for anything with data or regulated materials.

01

Prepare a mixed household load

Group small electronics in sturdy boxes or bins and keep loose cables from becoming a trip hazard. Do not force large or unusually heavy equipment into a container that cannot be safely moved. If a load includes batteries, lamps, CRT equipment, or anything that may contain data, mention it before drop-off or pickup.

For a household cleanout, a simple item list is enough. For an estate, apartment, school, or business project, an approximate count by room or category helps determine whether a drop-off or scheduled pickup is more practical.

02

Prepare a business or facility cleanout

Businesses often discover old electronics in storage rooms, break rooms, stock areas, and unused offices. Consolidate the material into a controlled staging area and keep it separate from trash, donations, and equipment that is still in service.

If the cleanout includes computers, printers, phones, or networking devices, identify those items separately so data-bearing components can be routed to destruction. A mixed load can be convenient without treating every device as the same kind of material.

03

Let the facility do the detailed sort

Once a mixed load arrives, items can be separated into batteries, lamps, circuit-board equipment, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastics, and specialized downstream categories. This is why customers do not need to guess whether a cable, game console, or small appliance belongs in a particular recycling bin.

The more unusual the item, the more useful it is to mention it before arrival. That gives the team a chance to confirm acceptance and keeps special materials from being hidden inside a general box.

04

Document the cleanout outcome

For business and facility projects, retain the pickup receipt or recycling certificate with the work order and waste-diversion records. If data destruction was included, keep the Certificate of Destruction separate from the general recycling record so the security step is easy to verify.

A documented closeout helps property managers, schools, offices, and households understand what was recycled, what needed a separate route, and what should not be included in the next load. The goal is a repeatable process, not just a cleared storage room.

A Better Cleanout Handoff

Bring the whole story, not just a box of mystery electronics

A quick description of the load helps the team separate batteries, lamps, data-bearing devices, and recoverable materials at the right point.

Keep mixed electronics together by project or room and mention unusual items before arrival. A household cleanout, school storage room, and office decommission can all be accepted, but each may need a different pickup plan or an additional route for special materials.

Once the material reaches the facility, it can be sorted into dedicated streams instead of being treated as one undifferentiated pile. That is what turns a convenient mixed load into a responsible recycling outcome.

Wide electronics recycling warehouse with material staged for sorting
What We Accept

Old Electronics & Mixed E-Waste

AV Equipment

VCRs, DVD players, Blu-ray players, set-top boxes, receivers, and home theater components accepted.

Gaming Consoles

Game consoles, controllers, handheld systems, and gaming peripherals — all brands and generations.

Small Appliances

Power supplies, UPS units, chargers, converters, and small electronic appliances sorted and recovered.

Cables & Accessories

Cables, remotes, adapters, and mixed accessories accepted — bundled with your main items or separately.

Common Questions

Old Electronics Recycling FAQ

Recycle Your Old Electronics — Free for Most Items

Schedule a free pickup or call our team — we'll walk you through pricing and logistics in minutes.

Schedule Pick Up866-770-2650
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