Staples Recycling and Trade-In, Explained
Staples recycles most small tech, ink and toner free, charges for printers, monitors and batteries, and pays an eGift Card for working tech traded in by mail.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store programs change. This is a summary in our own words of the Staples recycling page, its help center and the Staples Tech Trade site, read on October 26, 2026. Those official pages are the ones that apply; check them before you bring anything in.
What Staples recycles in store
Staples lists many items any customer can drop off free at a store:
| Group | Examples from the Staples list |
|---|---|
| Tech | Laptops, computers, tablets, phones, hard drives, routers, cables, chargers, headphones, game consoles, cameras, shredders, coffee brewers under 40 lb. |
| Printer cartridges | Ink cartridges, toner cartridges and drum units |
| School supplies | Pens, markers, pencils, empty binders, backpacks |
| Other | Bags and luggage, phone and tablet cases, watch bands, SodaStream CO2 cylinders |
What costs a fee
Some items are accepted only for a fee:
| Item | Fee listed by Staples |
|---|---|
| Printers and multifunction devices | $9.99 each |
| Monitors up to 49 inches | $29.99 each |
| Rechargeable and single-use batteries | $2.99 per visit |
| Shredding | Charged per pound |
Staples notes that the printer and monitor fees do not apply in California, Connecticut, Illinois, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, and the battery fee does not apply in California, Illinois, Minnesota, New York and Vermont. Its help center adds that New York customers can drop off up to 10 used rechargeable batteries per person per day at no charge, under state law.
Ink recycling and Easy Rewards points
Members of Staples Easy Rewards, the free loyalty program, earn points for each ink or toner cartridge they recycle, starting at 100 points per cartridge. There is a monthly limit; Staples takes extra cartridges but pays points only up to that limit, and shows each member's own terms in the account dashboard. For scale, the Easy Rewards terms say 200 points are worth $1 at checkout.
You can recycle cartridges two ways:
- In store: hand them to an associate or use the recycling kiosk, and scan your Easy Rewards card in the app or give your phone number.
- By mail: choose Recycle now in the Easy Rewards dashboard, print one shipping label per box and send them in. Points for mailed cartridges can take up to 60 business days.
Recycling tech by mail
Staples also sells Online Tech Recycling kits, from a small 6 lb. box for phones up to a 70 lb. large box, plus pallets that must ship to a commercial address. Staples says the gear is recycled and the data destroyed, with a standard or serialized certificate.
Trade-in for a Staples eGift Card
Working devices can earn money instead. The Staples Tech Trade program is run with a partner, ERI:
- Get a quote online at the Staples Tech Trade site; it stays valid for 30 days. Store staff cannot create quotes, but you can use your phone in the store.
- Wipe the device, reset it to factory settings and pack it with any quoted accessories.
- Ship it with the prepaid UPS label; Staples stores with UPS drop-off take the package.
- ERI checks the device and pays the final value as a Staples eGift Card by email within three weeks of receiving it.
If the condition differs, ERI sends a revised quote you can accept or decline within seven days.
Sources
Recycling Services, Help Center and Online Tech Recycling, Staples; Staples Tech Trade FAQ. Checked October 26, 2026.