Electronics Recycling in Reading, PA
Reading picks up one electronics item a week by request; more can go free to the Berks County center or Reading’s Goodwill stores.
See all 6 optionsChecked October 26, 2026 · Call before you go · How we check
Before you go
- List each device; operators often price printers, phones and audio equipment differently.
- Erase phones and remove memory cards before you drop them off.
- Ask whether there’s a per-pound or per-item fee.
Pennsylvania rules
- The disposal ban covers desktop and laptop computers, monitors, peripherals and televisions only; it does not apply to other electronic devices. Source: PA DEP: Covered Device Recycling Act Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, Sept. 30, 2011) (opens in new tab)
- DEP explains e-waste may not simply be trashed because it can contain lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and other toxic components. Source: PA DEP: Electronics (Recycling and Disposal) (opens in new tab)
More Pennsylvania rules (23)
- Retailers selling covered devices must tell customers how and where covered devices can be recycled, e.g. by posting DEP's recycling hotline (800-346-4242) or website. Source: PA DEP: Covered Device Recycling Act Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, Sept. 30, 2011) (opens in new tab)
- Intact electronics can generally be recycled or reused; broken or damaged devices may be hazardous waste needing special handling. Source: PA DEP: Electronics Recycling (Covered Device Recycling Act) (opens in new tab)
- Under Act 108, covered televisions exclude mobile telephones, and computers exclude typewriters, workstations, servers, mobile phones, calculators, PDAs and MP3 players. Source: Covered Device Recycling Act, Act 108 of 2010 (P.L. 1083) (opens in new tab)
- Act 108 Section 506: two years after the section took effect, no person may place a covered device or any of its components in municipal solid waste. Source: Covered Device Recycling Act, Act 108 of 2010 (P.L. 1083) (opens in new tab)
- Covered devices and their components must be recycled and may not be taken to or accepted by landfills or resource recovery facilities. Source: PA DEP: Covered Device Recycling Act Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, Sept. 30, 2011) (opens in new tab)
- Act 101 Section 1501(a): a municipality (other than a county) with 10,000 or more people must run a source-separation and collection program for recyclables. Source: Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, Act 101 of 1988 (P.L. 556) (opens in new tab)
- Act 101 Section 1501(b): municipalities of more than 5,000 but under 10,000 people with density over 300 per square mile must also run a recycling program. Source: Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, Act 101 of 1988 (P.L. 556) (opens in new tab)
- Residents of mandated municipalities must separate leaf waste unless they compost it; less dense municipalities that ban leaf burning may be exempt from leaf collection. Source: Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, Act 101 of 1988 (P.L. 556) (opens in new tab)
- Mandated programs must have a scheduled curbside (or similar) collection day for separated materials at least once a month. Source: Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, Act 101 of 1988 (P.L. 556) (opens in new tab)
- Statewide recycling began in 1988 with Act 101, which requires larger municipalities to recycle. Source: PA DEP: Recycling and Disposal (Residents) (opens in new tab)
- DEP says more than 11.6 million residents (at least 94 percent) have access to recycling, through about 1,050 curbside programs and 870 drop-off programs. Source: PA DEP: Recycling and Disposal (Residents) (opens in new tab)
- Act 101 set a $2-per-ton fee on waste disposed at municipal waste landfills and waste-to-energy facilities, funding local recycling grants. Source: PA DEP: Recycling in Pennsylvania (opens in new tab)
- For curbside recycling details, DEP tells residents to contact their local hauler or municipality. Source: PA DEP: Recycling and Disposal (Residents) (opens in new tab)
- For bulky items, DEP tells residents to contact their refuse hauler, or their county recycling coordinator if they have no hauler. Source: PA DEP: Recycling and Disposal (Residents) (opens in new tab)
- Some haulers and municipalities run curbside collection for special wastes restricted from regular trash (electronics, HHW, tires); each has its own requirements and costs. Source: PA DEP: Special Waste Materials Curbside Collection Programs (opens in new tab)
- DEP: household hazardous waste is unused household products that may explode, catch fire or harm the environment, e.g. paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, drain cleaners, batteries and motor oil. Source: PA DEP: Household Hazardous Waste (opens in new tab)
- DEP lists ongoing HHW programs and one-time events by county; most municipal programs have residency requirements and some charge nominal fees or require registration. Source: PA DEP: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Programs (opens in new tab)
- Contact the program before dropping off HHW to learn what it accepts and when it operates. Source: PA DEP: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Programs (opens in new tab)
- If no collection program is available, HHW may legally go in regular trash if label directions are followed, liquids are evaporated or absorbed, residue is packaged against leaks, and it is set out in small quantities over several collections. Source: PA DEP: Household Hazardous Waste (opens in new tab)
- Under Act 101 as amended by Act 190 of 1996, HHW programs may operate if registered with DEP; most collect annually at drop-off sites, others year-round. Source: PA DEP: Apply to Establish a Municipal Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program (opens in new tab)
- Act 190 allows 50% funding for HHW collection programs run by municipalities and non-profits. Source: PA DEP: Apply to Establish a Municipal Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program (opens in new tab)
- Very small quantity generators (businesses making under 100 kg of hazardous waste a month) can use registered HHW programs like households. Source: PA DEP: Apply to Establish a Municipal Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program (opens in new tab)
- If no HHW services are available in your area, DEP says to contact your county recycling coordinator. Source: PA DEP: Recycling and Disposal (Residents) (opens in new tab)
Where this information comes from (52)
Where this information comes from
Checked October 26, 2026
- Goodwill Keystone Area: Free Electronics Recycling (items we do and don’t accept) (opens in new tab) · Goodwill Keystone Area
- Goodwill Keystone Area, with Reworld, takes old electronics including TVs for free at its stores and donation centers in 22 central and southeastern Pennsylvania counties. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Goodwill Keystone Area says its list of accepted electronics is accepted at all of its stores and donation centers. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Accepted computing devices: computers, monitors and peripherals (keyboards, mice, printers, all-in-one printer/scanner/copiers, networking equipment). Checked October 26, 2026.
- Also accepted: VCR/DVD/Blu-ray players, gaming systems, stereos, radios, MP3 players, telephones and mobile devices with intact batteries. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Goodwill cannot accept phones, laptops, tablets or any device with a swollen, bloated, leaking or damaged battery, and does not take loose batteries. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Not accepted: Freon-containing devices, mercury devices and white goods such as refrigerators, ranges, water heaters, freezers, air conditioners, washers and dryers. Checked October 26, 2026.
- City of Reading Public Works: Special Collections (opens in new tab) · City of Reading Public Works
- Residences are entitled to one electronics recycling item picked up curbside per week, requested through iRequest or by calling 1-877-727-3234. Checked October 26, 2026.
- The electronics pickup must be requested and is not available for residents of multi-family buildings with 5 or more units. Checked October 26, 2026.
- County of Berks: Solid Waste Authority (opens in new tab) · Berks County Solid Waste Authority
- Electronics are free to Berks County residents at the Electronic Recycling Center, 1316 Hilltop Rd., Leesport, open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday 8 AM–noon. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Berks County Solid Waste Authority: Electronic Recycling Center fee schedule (PDF) (opens in new tab) · Berks County Solid Waste Authority · effective January 1, 2025
- Accepted: computers, monitors, laptops, keyboards, printers, microwaves, stereos, VCRs and telephones; maximum 10 items per vehicle. Checked October 26, 2026.
- All electronic items are free of charge for residents only; businesses pay $1.00 per item by appointment and no TVs or monitors are taken from businesses. Checked October 26, 2026.
- All visitors must remain in their vehicle; have all electronics in the trunk or pickup bed. Checked October 26, 2026.
- City of Reading Public Works: Dropoff Recycling/Trash (opens in new tab) · City of Reading Public Works
- For additional or small electronics, the City lists the Berks County Electronics Recycling Center, iGreen Electronics, Best Buy and cell phone carriers. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Electronics Recycling (Covered Device Recycling Act) (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- The Covered Device Recycling Act (Act 108 of 2010) requires manufacturers to provide recycling programs for desktop and laptop computers, computer monitors, computer peripherals and televisions sold to consumers in Pennsylvania. Checked October 26, 2026.
- DEP says CDRA collection sites may be used by small businesses employing fewer than 50 employees; businesses with 50+ employees and public entities (schools, local government offices, religious organizations) are not covered and must make their own arrangements. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Businesses with 50 or more employees and public entities are not covered under the CDRA and must make their own recycling arrangements. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Intact electronics can generally be recycled or reused; broken or damaged devices may be hazardous waste needing special handling. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Covered Device Recycling Act, Act 108 of 2010 (P.L. 1083) (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Act 108 Section 504: no manufacturer or retailer may charge a consumer a fee or cost for collecting, transporting or recycling a covered device, unless a financial incentive of equal or greater value (such as a coupon or rebate) is provided. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Act 108 defines a consumer as an occupant of a dwelling unit who used the covered device mainly for personal or small business use; a small business is independently owned, employs 50 or fewer people and would otherwise lack access to electronics recycling. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Act 108 Section 506: two years after the section took effect, no person may place a covered device or any of its components in municipal solid waste. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Under Act 108, covered televisions exclude mobile telephones, and computers exclude typewriters, workstations, servers, mobile phones, calculators, PDAs and MP3 players. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Covered Device Recycling Act Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, Sept. 30, 2011) (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Manufacturers must run ongoing recycling programs offering no-cost covered device collection to consumers, including home-based businesses; "no cost" means no fee unless a coupon or rebate of equal or greater value is given. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Collection locations that are not retailers and are not affiliated with a manufacturer recycling program may charge fees for covered devices. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Any collection location, even a retailer or manufacturer-affiliated one, may charge to recycle devices that are not covered devices. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Not covered: TVs with screens under four inches; telephones of any type including mobile phones; typewriters, workstations, servers, calculators, PDAs, GPS units, MP3 players and similar devices. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Devices contained in an appliance, and motor vehicle components, are excluded from the CDRA. Checked October 26, 2026.
- The disposal ban covers desktop and laptop computers, monitors, peripherals and televisions only; it does not apply to other electronic devices. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Covered devices and their components must be recycled and may not be taken to or accepted by landfills or resource recovery facilities. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Retailers selling covered devices must tell customers how and where covered devices can be recycled, e.g. by posting DEP's recycling hotline (800-346-4242) or website. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Covered Device Recycling Act (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- A peripheral is a keyboard, printer or other device sold exclusively for external use with a computer that provides input to or output from it. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Electronics (Recycling and Disposal) (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- DEP points residents to its CDRA collection sites list (PDF), its HHW Collection Programs page for one-day electronics events, its curbside collection programs page, and the toll-free Recycling Hotline 1-800-346-4242. Checked October 26, 2026.
- DEP explains e-waste may not simply be trashed because it can contain lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic and other toxic components. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: 2026 CDRA Collection Sites (PDF) (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- DEP's 2026 CDRA Collection Sites list (by county, with addresses) tells consumers to contact a location first to see which electronics it accepts. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Electronics Recycling Collection Programs (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- DEP's electronics collection programs list warns that not all locations accept all items such as TVs, most municipal programs have residency requirements, and some have registration requirements or nominal fees. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Municipal Waste Planning, Recycling and Waste Reduction Act, Act 101 of 1988 (P.L. 556) (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania General Assembly
- Act 101 Section 1501(a): a municipality (other than a county) with 10,000 or more people must run a source-separation and collection program for recyclables. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Act 101 Section 1501(b): municipalities of more than 5,000 but under 10,000 people with density over 300 per square mile must also run a recycling program. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Residents of mandated municipalities must separate leaf waste unless they compost it; less dense municipalities that ban leaf burning may be exempt from leaf collection. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Mandated programs must have a scheduled curbside (or similar) collection day for separated materials at least once a month. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Recycling and Disposal (Residents) (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Statewide recycling began in 1988 with Act 101, which requires larger municipalities to recycle. Checked October 26, 2026.
- DEP says more than 11.6 million residents (at least 94 percent) have access to recycling, through about 1,050 curbside programs and 870 drop-off programs. Checked October 26, 2026.
- For curbside recycling details, DEP tells residents to contact their local hauler or municipality. Checked October 26, 2026.
- For bulky items, DEP tells residents to contact their refuse hauler, or their county recycling coordinator if they have no hauler. Checked October 26, 2026.
- If no HHW services are available in your area, DEP says to contact your county recycling coordinator. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Recycling in Pennsylvania (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Act 101 set a $2-per-ton fee on waste disposed at municipal waste landfills and waste-to-energy facilities, funding local recycling grants. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Special Waste Materials Curbside Collection Programs (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Some haulers and municipalities run curbside collection for special wastes restricted from regular trash (electronics, HHW, tires); each has its own requirements and costs. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Household Hazardous Waste (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- DEP: household hazardous waste is unused household products that may explode, catch fire or harm the environment, e.g. paint, pesticides, pool chemicals, drain cleaners, batteries and motor oil. Checked October 26, 2026.
- If no collection program is available, HHW may legally go in regular trash if label directions are followed, liquids are evaporated or absorbed, residue is packaged against leaks, and it is set out in small quantities over several collections. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Household Hazardous Waste Collection Programs (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- DEP lists ongoing HHW programs and one-time events by county; most municipal programs have residency requirements and some charge nominal fees or require registration. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Contact the program before dropping off HHW to learn what it accepts and when it operates. Checked October 26, 2026.
- PA DEP: Apply to Establish a Municipal Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program (opens in new tab) · Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
- Under Act 101 as amended by Act 190 of 1996, HHW programs may operate if registered with DEP; most collect annually at drop-off sites, others year-round. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Act 190 allows 50% funding for HHW collection programs run by municipalities and non-profits. Checked October 26, 2026.
- Very small quantity generators (businesses making under 100 kg of hazardous waste a month) can use registered HHW programs like households. Checked October 26, 2026.
“Checked” means we read the official page on that date. Things can change, so call before you go.
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