E-Waste in Singapore: What to Do With Old Phones, Laptops, Batteries and Appliances
Most household electronics have a free, proper way out of your home. Here's what counts as e-waste, where each kind goes, and what to do before you let it go.
The short answer
- Small itemsinto public e-waste bins
- Big appliancesusually taken away by the retailer
- Wipe firstback up, sign out, factory reset
- Neverin the rubbish or the refuse chute
Small electronics — phones, laptops, tablets, batteries, bulbs — go into e-waste collection bins at public locations. Large appliances such as fridges, washing machines and TVs can usually be taken away by the retailer when they deliver your replacement. Wipe your devices first, and never put batteries or electronics in the general rubbish or the refuse chute. NEA's e-waste page lists the current options.
What counts as e-waste
E-waste is anything with a plug, a battery or a cable that you no longer want. In a typical home, that means:
- Phones, tablets and laptops, and their chargers and cables.
- Computers and accessories — desktops, monitors, keyboards, printers, routers.
- Batteries, from AA cells to power banks and the batteries inside devices.
- Light bulbs and lamps.
- Large household appliances — fridges, washing machines, dryers, aircon units and TVs.
Singapore runs a regulated system for e-waste, so most of these have a proper, free way out of your home.
Before you let anything go: wipe it
A phone or laptop dropped into a bin still holds your photos, messages, saved passwords and banking apps. Before you recycle a device:
- Back up anything you want to keep.
- Sign out of your accounts. On an iPhone, turn off Find My first — otherwise the device stays locked to you. On Android, remove your Google account.
- Take out the SIM card and any memory card.
- Factory reset the device from its settings.
- For an old computer you can't reset, removing the drive is the only way to be sure. Plenty of people keep the drive and recycle the rest.
Small items: e-waste bins
Phones, laptops, tablets, batteries, bulbs and similar small items go into e-waste collection bins at public locations such as shopping centres, community centres and some supermarkets. ALBA E-Waste, which runs the national collection network, lists bin locations and what each type of bin accepts.
Bins have size limits, and some take only certain items — batteries and bulbs, for example — so check before you go.
Tape over the terminals of loose batteries before you drop them in a bin, especially lithium batteries and power banks. It stops them short-circuiting against each other.
Large appliances: retailer take-back
When you buy a new fridge, washing machine or other large appliance, the retailer will offer to take the old one away when they deliver the new one. It's by far the easiest route, so ask about it when you buy — and have the old appliance emptied, defrosted and disconnected by delivery day.
If you're getting rid of an appliance without replacing it, NEA's e-waste page sets out the current collection options.
Still working? Pass it on
A working phone, laptop or appliance is often worth more to someone else than to a recycler. Selling it second-hand, giving it to someone who needs it, or donating it to a charity or community drive keeps it in use for longer. Wipe it first, as above.
What never goes in the refuse chute
Batteries, power banks, and anything that contains them. A damaged lithium battery can overheat and start a fire in a chute, a bin centre or a refuse truck. Bulbs don't belong there either — they break easily. If it has a battery or a plug, it goes to e-waste collection, not the rubbish.
E-waste as part of a bigger clear-out
If you're clearing a whole room or flat — before a move, at the end of a tenancy, or when a home is being emptied — the electronics are usually a small part of it. A disposal service can take furniture, mattresses, boxes and e-waste in one trip; ask how they handle electronics when you book.
For everything else in the clear-out, Junk to Clear's guide to disposing of bulky items in Singapore covers furniture, mattresses and other large items.
Common questions
Can I throw old batteries in the rubbish?
No. Batteries — especially the lithium-ion batteries in phones, laptops and power banks — belong in an e-waste collection bin, not the general rubbish or the refuse chute, where a damaged battery can start a fire.
Is e-waste recycling free in Singapore?
For most household items, yes. Small items can go into e-waste bins at public locations, and large appliances can usually be taken back by the retailer when you buy a replacement. NEA's website lists the current options.
Will the shop take my old fridge or washing machine?
When you buy a new large appliance, retailers offer to take the old one away when they deliver the new one. Ask when you buy — and if you aren't replacing it, check NEA's website for other collection options.
How do I wipe my phone before recycling it?
Back up what you need, sign out of your accounts — including Find My on an iPhone, which otherwise locks the device — remove the SIM and any memory card, then do a factory reset from the phone's settings.