Computer monitors, televisions and other screens are electrical waste, so they cannot go in your general waste bin or a skip. The good news is that there are plenty of proper routes for them. Householders in Glasgow can use retailer take-back, a council recycling centre or pass on a working screen to someone who needs one. Businesses have a few extra duties around paperwork and data. Whichever applies to you, Jettison Express can collect anything from a single old TV to a whole office floor of monitors and take it away for recycling.
Why monitors and screens need careful disposal
Screens are classed as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), and there are three reasons to treat them with care:
- What they are made of. Older, deep and boxy CRT monitors and televisions contain lead in the glass, which is why they should never be broken up, dumped or put out with ordinary rubbish. Modern flat screens are safer but still contain glass, plastics, metals and circuit boards that need to be separated and recycled.
- Breakage. A cracked screen can have sharp edges. Wear gloves, do not try to break it down further, and wrap it in a blanket or cardboard before moving it.
- Data. A plain monitor does not normally store personal information, but all-in-one computers, laptops, smart TVs and screens with built-in computers can hold logins, files and browsing history. Those need to be wiped or have their storage destroyed before they leave your hands.
Options for householders in Glasgow
Retailer take-back
Shops that sell electrical goods must take back an old item of the same type when you buy a new one, giving you at least 28 days to bring it in. Buy a new television and the shop must accept your old one. Retailers may charge to collect from your home, so ask when you order. The government guidance on electrical take-back explains what shops must offer.
Household waste recycling centres
Glasgow's recycling centres at Dawsholm, Polmadie and Shieldhall accept electricals from residents, 8am to 6pm, seven days a week, with no booking needed. Easter Queenslie closed for redevelopment from April 2026, and vans are only accepted at Shieldhall and Dawsholm at set times. Carry screens upright and keep them separate from heavier items in the car.
Pass on a working screen
A working monitor makes a very useful second screen for a student, a home worker or a community group. Offer it to family and friends, list it locally, or use Zero Waste Scotland's reuse tool to find someone who can use it. If the screen is part of an all-in-one computer, reset it to factory settings first.
Monitors and screens from offices
An office refresh can leave dozens of monitors, docking stations and old televisions from meeting rooms in a store cupboard. Businesses cannot use council recycling centres, which are for residents only, and they have a duty of care for their waste. In practice that means you must only hand screens to an authorised person, such as a waste carrier registered with SEPA, complete a waste transfer note and keep the equipment contained until it is collected.
Data is the other big responsibility. Under UK GDPR, organisations must keep personal data secure, including when disposing of IT equipment. Hard drives should be securely wiped or physically destroyed with a certificate, and BS EN 15713 is the code of practice for secure destruction of confidential material. Before you book a collection:
- make an inventory, and separate plain monitors from devices that store data, such as all-in-ones, laptops and desktop towers;
- arrange secure wiping or destruction for anything with storage, and keep the certificates;
- gather the paper files from desks and cupboards at the same time, as they often need secure disposal too;
- keep your waste transfer notes with the certificates as a complete record.
Our hard drive and IT disposal service in Glasgow handles the data side, our confidential waste disposal service covers paper records, and our office clearance team can remove the screens, desks and chairs in the same visit. If the clear-out is part of a relocation, read our guide to planning an office move.
Getting screens ready for collection
- Unplug everything and bundle cables, stands and remote controls with the screen they belong to.
- Take wall-mounted televisions down safely, or tell us when you book if they are still on the wall.
- Wrap cracked screens and label them so nobody grabs a sharp edge.
- Stand flat screens upright and do not stack heavy items on top of them.
Make your monitor last longer
The greenest screen is the one you keep using. Let your monitor go to sleep when it is not in use, switch it off at the end of the day, keep the vents free of dust and have any surge protection in your home or office checked from time to time. A screen that is no longer good enough for design work may still be perfectly fine as a second monitor.
How Jettison Express can help
Jettison Express collects monitors, televisions and other screens from homes and businesses across Glasgow and central Scotland. Our uniformed team call ahead, carry everything out and give you an up-front rate before work starts. Screens go to our depot to be sorted for recycling, we recycle over 90% of what we collect, and we leave paperwork once the job is complete. If you are clearing other electricals too, our guide to disposing of old household appliances covers the rest.
To book a monitor or TV collection, contact Jettison Express or call 0333 880 6800, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put an old monitor or TV in my bin?
No. Monitors and televisions are electrical waste and should be recycled, not put in your general waste bin or a skip. In Glasgow you can take them to a household waste recycling centre, hand them back to a retailer when you buy a replacement of the same type, or have them collected by a registered waste carrier.
Are old CRT monitors hazardous?
Older CRT monitors and televisions, the deep and boxy kind, contain lead in the glass, so they must not be broken up, dumped or mixed with general rubbish. Keep them intact and take them to a recycling centre or another proper electrical recycling route. If you have CRT screens to clear, mention them when you book so we can confirm the right disposal route.
Does a computer monitor store any data?
A plain monitor does not normally store personal data, but all-in-one computers, laptops, smart TVs and screens with built-in computers can. Reset them to factory settings or arrange secure wiping before disposal. Businesses must keep personal data secure under UK GDPR, so hard drives should be securely wiped or physically destroyed with a certificate.
Can my business take old monitors to the council tip?
No. Glasgow's household waste recycling centres are for residents only. Businesses must give their waste to an authorised person, such as a waste carrier registered with SEPA, complete a waste transfer note and keep the waste contained until it is collected. A professional office clearance can remove monitors, furniture and other equipment in one visit.