Exercise Equipment Disposal & Recycling in New York City, NY
Most exercise equipment is not e-waste in NYC: take treadmills, ellipticals and bikes apart if possible and set them out for free large-item collection. Goodwill NYNJ takes small free weights only.
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Not yet confirmed: we couldn’t check this detail against a current source.
- Goodwill NYNJ accepts small free weights, dumbbells, resistance bands and medicine balls, but not treadmills or ellipticals. (Goodwill NYNJ Donation Guide (PDF) (opens in new tab))
Checked October 26, 2026 · Call before you go · How we check
Before you go
- Measure it and check whether it needs to be partly disassembled to move it.
- Ask whether motorized equipment (like treadmills) is handled as electronics or scrap metal.
- Check whether it’s in good enough shape to sell or donate.
New York rules
- Household hazardous wastes are household materials that would be regulated as hazardous waste if generated elsewhere; household-generated HHW is exempt from state and federal hazardous waste rules. Source: NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- Residents can take HHW to authorized HHW collection facilities or HHW collection events hosted by counties and municipalities; DEC has a map and list of permitted facilities. Source: NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab)
More New York rules (5)
- If there is no permitted facility nearby, check with your municipality for periodic one- or two-day HHW collection events. Source: NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- The state Environmental Protection Fund can pay up to 50 percent of the cost of municipal HHW collection programs. Source: NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab)
- General Municipal Law 120-aa required every municipality, by September 1, 1992, to adopt a local law requiring source separation of recyclables (paper, glass, metals, plastics, yard waste) where economic markets exist. Source: NY General Municipal Law 120-AA: Source separation and segregation of recyclable or reuseable materials (opens in new tab)
- DEC tells residents to check local guidance to see which items their program accepts. Source: NYSDEC: Recycling Resources (opens in new tab)
- DEC lists New York collection programs for items that belong outside the recycling bin: beverage containers, carpet, cell phones, e-waste, lead-acid vehicle batteries, mercury thermostats, paint, pharmaceuticals, plastic film, rechargeable batteries and tires. Source: NYSDEC: Recycling and Composting (opens in new tab)
Where this information comes from (13)
Where this information comes from
Checked October 26, 2026
- DSNY: Large Items (opens in new tab) · New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
- NYC residents can get free curbside removal of large items. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Up to 6 large items may be set out at the curb per collection day. Checked October 26, 2026.
- DSNY: Furniture, Mattresses, and Rugs (opens in new tab) · New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY)
- Most exercise equipment is not e-waste and follows the regular trash, recycling and large item rules; take large machines such as ellipticals, stationary bikes and treadmills apart if possible and remove batteries. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Most exercise equipment is not considered e-waste. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Goodwill NYNJ: Donate Goods (opens in new tab) · Goodwill NYNJ
- Goodwill NYNJ says all of its stores accept donations of clothing, shoes, accessories, household goods and other items. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Goodwill NYNJ Donation Guide (PDF) (opens in new tab) · Goodwill NYNJ
- Goodwill NYNJ accepts small free weights, dumbbells, resistance bands and medicine balls, but not treadmills or ellipticals. Checked October 25, 2026 (automated check) · not yet confirmed.
- NYSDEC: Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) (opens in new tab) · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- Household hazardous wastes are household materials that would be regulated as hazardous waste if generated elsewhere; household-generated HHW is exempt from state and federal hazardous waste rules. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Residents can take HHW to authorized HHW collection facilities or HHW collection events hosted by counties and municipalities; DEC has a map and list of permitted facilities. Checked October 26, 2026.
- If there is no permitted facility nearby, check with your municipality for periodic one- or two-day HHW collection events. Checked October 26, 2026.
- The state Environmental Protection Fund can pay up to 50 percent of the cost of municipal HHW collection programs. Checked October 26, 2026.
- NY General Municipal Law 120-AA: Source separation and segregation of recyclable or reuseable materials (opens in new tab) · New York State Senate (Open Legislation)
- General Municipal Law 120-aa required every municipality, by September 1, 1992, to adopt a local law requiring source separation of recyclables (paper, glass, metals, plastics, yard waste) where economic markets exist. Checked October 26, 2026.
- NYSDEC: Recycling Resources (opens in new tab) · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- DEC tells residents to check local guidance to see which items their program accepts. Checked October 26, 2026.
- NYSDEC: Recycling and Composting (opens in new tab) · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
- DEC lists New York collection programs for items that belong outside the recycling bin: beverage containers, carpet, cell phones, e-waste, lead-acid vehicle batteries, mercury thermostats, paint, pharmaceuticals, plastic film, rechargeable batteries and tires. Checked October 26, 2026.
“Checked” means we read the official page on that date. Things can change, so call before you go.
How we check our information