How to choose a TV collection service: checks, red flags and fair prices

Updated 6 November 2026 · By the TV Disposal team

Short answer: Before anyone takes your old TV, check they are a registered waste carrier on the official public register, ask where the TV will be taken, and get a fixed price in writing. Be wary of social media offers that are far cheaper than usual, collectors with no registration number and anyone who will not say where waste goes. A fair UK price for a single flat screen collection is usually £25 to £60.

How to choose a TV collection service: checks, red flags and fair prices

Why checking matters

Householders have a legal duty to make sure their waste is passed only to someone authorised to take it. If you hand an old TV to a collector who then fly-tips it, you can be held responsible. In England, councils can issue a fixed penalty of up to £600 to householders who breach this duty, and prosecution can lead to larger fines. Councils regularly trace fly-tipped waste back to the household it came from.

TVs are a common target for rogue collectors because they are bulky and costly to recycle properly. Some are stripped for any valuable parts and the rest dumped, including hazardous CRT glass.

How to check a waste carrier

Ask for their waste carrier registration number
Search it on the public register, run by the Environment Agency in England, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA in Scotland or NIEA in Northern Ireland
Check the business or person named on the register matches who is collecting
Note the registration number and the vehicle registration on the day
Ask for a receipt or waste transfer note showing what was taken

Registration is quick to check online, and a legitimate collector will be happy to give the number. If they cannot or will not, do not use them.

Registration on its own does not prove a collector is careful, but it does mean they are known to the regulator and can be traced. It also shows you took reasonable steps, which is what the duty of care asks of householders. Keep the details for a while after the collection, along with any message or receipt confirming the price and what was taken.

Social media groups and marketplace listings are a common place to find collectors, and many are genuine local businesses. The same checks apply: ask for the registration number before agreeing a time, and check it matches the name on the profile or the van. Photographs of the TV and a written description of everything to be collected also help avoid disputes about price on the day.

Questions to ask

Question	What you want to hear
Are you a registered waste carrier?	Yes, with a registration number you can check
Where will the TV go?	A permitted WEEE recycling or treatment facility
Is the price fixed?	Yes, agreed before collection
Does the price include carrying from inside?	Yes, from the room where the TV is
Can you take it off the wall?	Yes, with any extra cost stated up front
Will I get a receipt?	Yes, showing what was collected and when

Red flags

Leaflets or social media posts offering to take anything for a very low price
No registration number, or a number that does not match the register
Cash only with no receipt
Vague answers about where the waste is taken
A price that rises once the collector has seen the item
Unmarked vehicles turning up at short notice
Pressure to leave the TV outside unattended for collection

Leaving an old TV on the pavement for anyone to take is also a risk. If it is dumped elsewhere, it may still be traced to you, and leaving waste on the street can itself be treated as fly-tipping.

What a fair price looks like

Job	Typical UK guide price
Single flat screen TV	£25 to £60
Single CRT TV	£30 to £70
Plasma TV	£30 to £65
Each additional TV	£10 to £25
Wall-mounted TV removal	£20 to £50 extra

Prices well below these ranges are a warning sign, because proper WEEE recycling has real costs. Prices well above may reflect difficult access, very large screens or same-day collection, so ask what is included.

Free alternatives worth checking first

Household waste recycling centres accept TVs from householders free of charge
Some electrical retailers take back an old TV when delivering a new one, sometimes for a fee
Council bulky waste collections cost less in some areas, though often only from the kerbside
Working, recent TVs can be sold, given away or donated to reuse groups

A paid collection is usually worth it when the TV is heavy, upstairs, wall mounted or too big for your car, or when you have several items to clear at once. Whoever you choose, a registration check takes a minute and protects you from a fine.

If a collector you have used turns out to have dumped your TV, report it to your council with the details you kept, including the registration number, vehicle and receipt. Having those records shows you met your duty of care and helps the council trace the people responsible.