Published . 3 minute read.
You can’t put a TV in the trash in South Carolina. State law has kept televisions, computers, monitors and printers out of landfills since July 1, 2011, so an old set has to go somewhere that collects electronics for recycling. Where that is depends on your county and on what kind of TV you have.
Can you throw a TV in the trash in SC?
No. A 2010 state law (S.C. Code §48-60-05 and following) banned TVs, computers, monitors and printers from South Carolina landfills starting July 1, 2011.
The law has been amended since. Act 234 of 2022 extended it through December 31, 2029. In practice, that means the bag you take to the county center isn’t an option, and Oconee County’s C&D landfill refuses electronics too.
Where can Oconee residents take a TV?
Flat screens and computer monitors go in the donation boxes at any of Oconee County’s 11 staffed recycling centers. Tube (CRT) TVs are not accepted at the centers.
The centers are open 7am to 7pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and closed Wednesday and Sunday. They’re for county residents only. Our Oconee County dump guide has every address.
For a tube set, call the county’s solid waste office at (864) 888-1440 and ask what the current option is. Don’t leave one beside a donation box hoping someone will take it.
What about Pickens and Anderson counties?
Both counties take electronics at their centers, for their own residents.
- Pickens County runs eight recycling centers, open Monday to Saturday, 7:30am to 7:20pm, including Willow Springs at 127 Willow Springs Rd in Six Mile and a center in Central. They take electronics, appliances and paint, and the county requires a residency decal.
- Anderson County has 13 convenience centers, most open Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm, and they take electronics along with furniture and appliances.
Neither county’s summary says whether every site takes tube sets. If yours is a CRT, check the county’s solid waste page or call the Pickens County landfill office at (864) 859-3492 before you lift it into the car.
Does Clemson pick up TVs at the curb?
The City of Clemson’s sanitation page has described a special curbside pickup for electronics on your regular sanitation day. Call the city at (864) 653-2053 to confirm how it works for your street before you set anything out.
This only applies inside City of Clemson limits. Students in campus housing should check the university’s move-out rules; our Clemson move-out guide covers the dates.
Can you donate an old TV?
A working flat screen may find a new home. A tube TV almost never will.
The Oconee Habitat ReStore in Seneca lists CRT TVs, desktop computers and printers among the things it refuses. Other donation outlets set their own electronics rules and don’t always publish them, so call before you load a working flat screen. A neighbor, a church or a student moving in might want a working set more than a store does.
Before any smart TV leaves the house, sign out of your streaming accounts and run a factory reset from the settings menu.
Why do tube TVs cost more to recycle?
Picture tubes are heavy, and their glass contains lead, so recyclers have to handle them separately. That extra handling is why a tube set usually costs more to get rid of than a flat screen.
Don’t try to break one down to make it lighter. The tube is under vacuum and the glass is leaded. Carry it whole, and use two people for anything bigger than a small bedroom set. Big console sets in wooden cabinets weigh about as much as a dresser, so plan the carry the same way.
Where does each kind of device go?
TVs, computer monitors, computers and printers all fall under the state’s landfill ban, but they don’t all go to the same place.
| TV or device | Oconee centers | Oconee Habitat ReStore |
|---|---|---|
| Flat-screen TV | Yes, in donation boxes | Call first |
| Computer monitor | Yes, in donation boxes | Call first |
| Tube (CRT) TV | No | No |
| Desktop computer | Not listed | No |
| Printer | Not listed | No |
Can someone haul it for you?
Yes. Seneca Junk Removal picks up TVs from wherever they are, including a tube set in an upstairs bedroom or a console in a basement, and takes them where state law says they go, not the landfill. A flat screen on its own runs $75–$95. A tube TV on its own runs $95–$130, and when it rides along with a bigger load we add $20–$35 per set to cover the recycler’s charge. See the price list or get a ballpark from the junk removal estimator.
Sources
- SC Department of Environmental Services: South Carolina’s electronics recycling legislation
- SC Department of Environmental Services: Oconee County recycling locations
- Visit Oconee SC: Throwing it away
- Pickens County Solid Waste
- Anderson County Solid Waste
- City of Clemson: Garbage and sanitation
- Oconee Habitat for Humanity ReStore
