TV disposal in Indianapolis starts at $26 with Indy Pickup 1111, which picks up any television right from your home for an $11 base fee plus a size-based surcharge. You can also haul it to a free Marion County ToxDrop event, pay a per-TV drop-off fee at RecycleForce or Best Buy ($29.99), or pay a junk hauler $99 or more. One thing you cannot do: put it in the trash. That is illegal in Indiana.
Last updated: July 2026
Old TVs are one of the most annoying things to get rid of. They are heavy, nobody wants them, and half the disposal advice online is written for other states. This guide covers every real option in Indianapolis, what each one actually costs, and the specific problem almost everyone hits: what to do with a giant tube TV that no donation center will touch.
Can You Throw a TV in the Trash in Indianapolis?
No. It is illegal to put a television in your household trash anywhere in Indiana. Under the Indiana Electronic Waste (E-Waste) Law, televisions and computer monitors have been banned from municipal trash headed to landfills or incinerators since January 1, 2011 (Indiana Department of Environmental Management, 2011). Your trash hauler can refuse the TV, and the ban applies to homes, small businesses, and schools alike.
The reason is what is inside. An old tube TV carries lead in its funnel glass — enough that the EPA classifies discarded CRTs as hazardous waste — and older flat screens can contain mercury in their backlights (U.S. EPA, 2024). Those materials belong in a recycling stream, not buried in the ground where they can reach soil and groundwater. So the real question is not whether to recycle your TV. It is which method costs you the least time and money.
How Much Does TV Disposal Cost in Indianapolis?
TV disposal in Indianapolis ranges from a small drop-off donation to $99 or more for full-service junk removal. The cheapest option depends on whether you are willing to load and haul the TV yourself. If you are, a ToxDrop event is nearly free. If you want it gone without lifting it into a truck, Indy Pickup 1111 handles pickup starting at $26. Here is how every option compares.
| Option | Cost | Pickup or Drop-off? | Takes CRT/Tube? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County ToxDrop | Free (residents only) | Drop-off, weekends only | Yes | Patient DIYers in Marion County |
| RecycleForce | Fee for TVs & monitors | Drop-off, Mon–Sat | Yes | Anyone who can haul it |
| Best Buy | $29.99 per TV | Drop-off (under 50") | Limited | Small flat screens |
| Charity donation | Free (if it works) | Varies | No | Working flat screens |
| Indy Pickup 1111 | $26–$81 | Pickup, same/next day | Yes | Any TV, no hauling |
| Full-service junk haulers | $99–$500 | Pickup | Yes | TV plus a truckload of other junk |
Don't want to lift it into your car? Indy Pickup 1111 picks up any TV right from your home starting at $26 — text a photo and we'll quote it. Book a TV pickup →
Your TV Disposal Options in Indianapolis, Ranked
ToxDrop (Marion County Residents)
ToxDrop is Indianapolis’s household hazardous waste program, and it accepts TVs including old CRT tube sets at no charge. Events run on the first Saturday of the month at the Traders Point Collection Facility (7550 N. Lafayette Road) and the second Saturday at the Perry Township Government Center (4925 S. Shelby Street), both 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Indy.gov, 2026). You have to be a Marion County resident and bring ID or a utility bill. The catch is the schedule: two Saturdays a month, and you load and haul the TV yourself.
RecycleForce Drop-off
RecycleForce is a nonprofit e-waste recycler at 816 N. Sherman Drive that takes electronics year-round, Monday through Saturday, so you are not stuck waiting for a monthly event. Unlike ToxDrop, it charges a fee to recycle TVs and monitors — CRTs contain leaded glass that costs money to process — so ask for the current rate before you load up. It is still a solid choice if you can move the TV and want it handled responsibly. Same trade-off as ToxDrop: you provide the muscle and the truck.
Best Buy
Best Buy recycles TVs for a $29.99 fee per set, but only for televisions under 50 inches brought into a full-service store (Dropcurb, 2026). Anything bigger, and most old projection or console TVs, they will turn away. It works for a small flat screen you can carry, but it is drop-off only, and $29.99 to haul it yourself is more than Indy Pickup 1111 charges to come get it.
Donate a Working TV
If your flat screen still works, Goodwill or the Salvation Army may take it. This only applies to functioning TVs in good shape, and most donation centers stopped accepting tube TVs years ago. Do not haul a dead TV to a donation door and leave it. That is illegal dumping and can carry fines.
$11 Base Pickup with Indy Pickup 1111
This is the option for people who do not want to touch the TV again. Indy Pickup 1111 comes to your house, and TV pickup runs $26 to $81 depending on type and size — the $11 base fee plus a recycling surcharge. Place the TV outside or in the garage, and the crew loads it. Same-day and next-day service covers the metro from Greenwood to Carmel and Avon to New Palestine, backed by 2,173 Google reviews at 4.9 stars. No Saturday-only window, no size limit, no hauling it yourself.
Pickup covers the whole Indianapolis metro without a fuel surcharge — Indianapolis, Greenwood, Carmel, Fishers, Zionsville, Brownsburg, Plainfield, Westfield, and New Palestine, among others. Outlying towns like Noblesville, Greenfield, Shelbyville, and Anderson are served with a small fuel surcharge. Booking is by text, phone, or the online form at indypickup1111.com, and the $11 base is prepaid so there is no dead run and no surprise charge at the door. If you have a working TV, consider donating it first; recycling is the right call for anything dead, cracked, or too old to sell.
Full-service Junk Haulers ($99+)
Fire Dawgs, 1-800-GOT-JUNK, and Junk King will all take a TV, but they price by the truckload. Fire Dawgs starts at $99 per its published pricing, and full-service loads climb into the hundreds from there. That math only works if the TV is part of a bigger cleanout. For a single television, you would be paying $99 or more for something Indy Pickup 1111 handles for $26 to $81. If you do have a full load, our guide to junk removal costs in Indianapolis breaks down when full-service is worth it.
How to Get Rid of a CRT or Tube TV in Indianapolis
Old CRT tube TVs are the hardest disposal problem in this whole category. They are brutally heavy, their leaded funnel glass makes them costly to process, and almost nobody wants them — not donation centers, not most curbside programs, and not your trash hauler. Best Buy often will not take large ones, and even scrappers usually pass because the leaded glass costs money to process.
That leaves two realistic paths. Haul it yourself — free at a Marion County ToxDrop event, or for a fee at RecycleForce — if you can lift a 100-pound box into a vehicle. Or have Indy Pickup 1111 pick it up: a tube TV up to 19 inches is $26, a 25-to-27-inch set is $36, and anything over 27 inches is $46. For a projection console TV, pricing runs $66 to $81 because of the size and weight. It is not the $11 flat rate our metal appliances get, but it is a fraction of the $99+ a junk hauler charges — and you never have to move the thing.
Indy Pickup 1111 TV Pickup Pricing (2026)
Every TV price is the $11 base fee plus a surcharge for the recycling and handling. All prices assume the TV is outside or in the garage; inside removal adds a surcharge. Here is the full breakdown so there are no surprises.
| TV Type | Size | Base Fee | Surcharge | You Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tube / CRT | Up to 19" | $11 | +$15 | $26 |
| Tube / CRT | 25" to 27" | $11 | +$25 | $36 |
| Tube / CRT | Over 27" | $11 | +$35 | $46 |
| LCD / Flatscreen / Plasma | Up to 50" | $11 | +$20 | $31 |
| LCD / Flatscreen / Plasma | 51" to 55" | $11 | +$25 | $36 |
| LCD / Flatscreen / Plasma | Over 55" | $11 | +$30 | $41 |
| Projection | Up to 55" | $11 | +$55 | $66 |
| Projection | Over 55" | $11 | +$70 | $81 |
Getting rid of an old appliance too? Bundle it into the same stop. Most metal items and appliances are just the $11 base fee — see the full guide to getting rid of old appliances in Indianapolis or the complete $11 pickup guide for what qualifies.
Not sure which price tier your TV falls in? Text a photo to (317) 350-1111 with the type and size and Indy Pickup 1111 will confirm the exact cost before we come out. Get a TV quote →
How to Prepare Your TV for Pickup
TV pickup is simple, but a little prep keeps it fast for everyone. Before your scheduled window:
- Unplug the TV and coil the power cord so nothing drags.
- Disconnect any cables, streaming boxes, or game consoles you want to keep.
- Move the TV outside or into the garage — not to the curb or road, where it becomes a traffic hazard.
- For a large projection or console TV you cannot lift, mention it when you book so the crew brings the right help.
- You do not need to be home. Contactless pickup is available — just leave the TV accessible.
What Happens to Your Old TV After Recycling
A recycled TV gets broken down into its raw materials. The glass, metals, and plastics are separated, and hazardous components like leaded CRT glass and mercury backlights are handled under controlled processes rather than dumped. The EPA notes that electronics are “made from valuable resources and materials, including metals, plastics, and glass,” and recycling them “conserves our natural resources and avoids air and water pollution” (U.S. EPA, 2024).
The scale of the problem is why this matters. The world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022, and only 22.3 percent was formally collected and recycled — with e-waste now rising five times faster than recycling can keep up (UN Global E-waste Monitor 2024). According to Kees Baldé, lead author of the report at UNITAR, the findings are “an immediate call for greater investment in infrastructure development, more promotion of repair and reuse.” Choosing recycling over the landfill for one old TV is a small piece of that, but it is the right one — and with Indy Pickup 1111, everything collected is recycled or donated. Curious how the metal side works? See what happens in our scrap metal recycling guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I dispose of an old TV in Indianapolis?
You have four main routes: drop it at a free Marion County ToxDrop event (residents only), pay a per-TV fee to drop off at RecycleForce or Best Buy ($29.99 for a small flat screen), donate a working TV, or have Indy Pickup 1111 pick it up starting at $26. Trash disposal is not an option — TVs are banned from Indiana landfills.
Can I put a TV in the trash in Indiana?
No. Televisions and computer monitors have been banned from Indiana household trash headed to landfills or incinerators since January 1, 2011, under the state’s E-Waste Law. TVs contain lead and mercury, so your hauler can legally refuse them. You must recycle the TV or use a pickup service instead.
How much does TV recycling cost in Indianapolis?
It ranges from free to $99+. Marion County ToxDrop is free but requires you to haul the TV yourself and be a county resident. RecycleForce accepts TVs for a fee. Best Buy charges $29.99 for sets under 50 inches. Indy Pickup 1111 picks any TV up from your home for $26 to $81. Junk haulers start at $99.
Where can I recycle a CRT tube TV in Indianapolis?
CRT tube TVs are accepted at free Marion County ToxDrop events (residents only) and at RecycleForce on Sherman Drive, which charges a fee for tube sets. If you cannot haul the heavy TV yourself, Indy Pickup 1111 picks up tube TVs from your home for $26 to $46 depending on size. Best Buy usually will not accept large CRTs.
Does Indy Pickup 1111 take flat screen and smart TVs?
Yes. LCD, LED, plasma, and flat screen TVs are picked up for $31 to $41 depending on size — the $11 base fee plus a recycling surcharge. Place the TV outside or in the garage and the crew handles the rest. Same-day and next-day service is available across the Indianapolis metro.
Is it cheaper to drop off my TV or have it picked up?
Drop-off at a Marion County ToxDrop event is cheaper on paper — free versus $26 at Indy Pickup 1111. But drop-off means loading a heavy TV into a vehicle, driving across town, and matching a limited two-Saturdays-a-month schedule. For most people, $26 to skip all of that and never lift the TV is the better deal.
How fast can Indy Pickup 1111 pick up my TV?
Same-day and next-day pickup is typically available across the core Indianapolis metro. During business hours a team member usually reaches out within the hour to schedule. Text or call (317) 350-1111, or book online at indypickup1111.com, and you can leave the TV outside for contactless pickup without being home.