How to get rid of an old TV in Virginia Beach

The short answer

Virginia Beach residents can drop TVs free at the Resource Recovery Center on Jake Sears Road, Tuesday through Saturday, with proof of residency. Norfolk residents can drop e-waste only at the SPSA Norfolk Transfer Station, 3136 Woodland Avenue, on Tuesdays and Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. If the TV is mounted, upstairs or you can't make those hours, a flat pickup is $62, $68 or $73 depending on size. Each is under the $100 minimum, so a TV alone is billed at $100, and a TV with its stand is $68 + $96 = $164.

Virginia Beach: the Resource Recovery Center

The city's Landfill and Resource Recovery Center at 1989 Jake Sears Road takes TVs, computers and monitors free from Virginia Beach residents. Bring proof of residency, such as a driver's license or a utility bill with your address. It's open Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For a flat-screen under 50 inches, this is an easy run in most cars. Lay it flat on a blanket, screen up, and don't stack anything on top. Larger sets need an SUV or a truck and two people. Glass and LCD panels crack if they flex.

Old tube TVs are heavier than people remember. A large one from a Bayside den or a Kempsville rec room can take two people to lift. Use a hand truck if you have one.

The center is closed Sundays and Mondays. If your weekend is the only time you have, plan for Saturday.

Norfolk: drop-off only, two afternoons a week

In Norfolk, e-waste is drop-off only. It isn't part of curbside bulk pickup. The drop-off is the SPSA Norfolk Transfer Station at 3136 Woodland Avenue.

• Days and hours: Tuesdays and Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m.
• Limit: five items per visit.
• Vehicle: personal vehicles only.
• No commercial e-waste.

That's eight hours a week. If you live in Ghent, Larchmont or Ocean View and work weekdays, it means Saturday afternoon. It also means getting the TV down from your apartment and into your car yourself.

Don't leave a TV at the curb in Norfolk expecting the bulk truck to take it. It isn't how the program works.

Chesapeake, the Peninsula and Currituck

Chesapeake runs its own bulk trash program and SPSA operates a Chesapeake transfer station. Check the city's page for how it handles electronics before you set a TV out.

Newport News runs a Recovery Operations Center for residents. Ask what it accepts before you go.

Currituck County, NC convenience centers, including Moyock and Knotts Island, accept TVs and computers from residents with a County Access Permit.

For Portsmouth, Hampton and Poquoson, check the city's own page. We don't publish their rules here because we couldn't verify them.

Wherever you are, don't put a TV in your regular trash can. Screens contain materials that should be recycled rather than crushed in a truck.

Taking a TV off the wall

Wall-mounted TVs are the most common reason people book a pickup. In newer Red Mill or north Suffolk homes, TVs are often mounted high over a fireplace. In older homes, mounts go into plaster.

1. Unplug everything and remove cables. Photograph the connections if you're keeping the soundbar.
2. Find the release on the mount, usually a pull cord, a pair of screws or tabs on the bracket.
3. With two people, lift the TV straight up off the bracket and set it on a soft surface.
4. Decide whether the wall bracket stays. Many rentals want it gone, and many buyers want it left.

Don't try a 65-inch set alone on a ladder. Large panels are light for their size but have no good handholds, and they flex.

We remove a TV that's already off the wall. If it's still mounted, take it down first or ask about it when you book.

Flat TV prices

A 65-inch-plus TV and a 40-inch bedroom set: $73 + $62 = $135. A living room in a Lynnhaven split-level with TV, entertainment center and stereo: $68 + $96 + $52 = $216.

A single TV of any size is billed at the $100 minimum. Pickup includes carrying it out from any floor and taking it where electronics are accepted. We recycle whatever we can.

When each route makes sense

Use the Resource Recovery Center if you live in Virginia Beach, the TV fits in your car, and you can go Tuesday to Saturday during the day. It's free.

Use the Norfolk transfer station if you live in Norfolk, have five or fewer items, and can go on a Tuesday or Saturday afternoon.

Book a pickup if the TV is huge, upstairs, or in a building with no easy parking, like a Downtown Norfolk high-rise or an Oceanfront condo. It also makes sense when you have more than one item, or when you're clearing a whole house on a PCS timeline and don't have time for a separate e-waste trip.

Get a price from a photo on the instant quote page. Book by 4 p.m. for same-day.

Frequently asked questions