TL;DR: National Retro Day on February 27 is the perfect occasion to dig out those dusty gadgets and dispose of them the right way—protecting both the environment and your personal data.

Key Takeaways:

Old electronics contain toxic materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium that can leach into soil and water if landfilled
The UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2024 reports 62 million tonnes of e-waste was generated worldwide in 2022—and only 22.3% was properly recycled
Data on old hard drives is still recoverable unless properly destroyed
Indianapolis residents can drop off electronics through ToxDrop events (Marion County only) or at RecycleForce year-round
Indiana law has prohibited households from throwing electronics in the trash since 2011
Sell your old or broken e-waste to Garden City Iron & Metal in Columbus, IN

Table of Contents:

What is National Retro Day?
Why should you recycle obsolete electronics?
How does e-waste recycling protect your data?
Where to find e-waste recycling in Indianapolis?
FAQ
Quick Recap
Recycle E-Waste in Columbus, IN

Every February 27, National Retro Day invites us to look back fondly at the gadgets, gear, and gizmos of decades past. That chunky desktop computer from the early 2000s. The VHS player still sitting in a closet. The digital camera that predates smartphones by a generation.

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. But here’s the part that doesn’t get enough attention: those beloved devices don’t just disappear when you’re done with them. Tossed in a landfill, they can release a cocktail of toxic substances into the environment for years to come.

National Retro Day isn’t just a reason to reminisce—it’s a timely reminder to handle your old tech responsibly. Here’s what you need to know.

What is National Retro Day?

National Retro Day is an annual observance celebrated on February 27. Founded by Hermelinda A. Aguilar and Robert and Tina Duran, the day was officially proclaimed in 2018 by the National Day Calendar® to be observed every year on February 27.

The spirit of the day is simple: step back from the hyper-connected present and appreciate the slower, more tangible world of the past. Think face-to-face conversations, dinner around the table, and gadgets you could actually repair yourself.

For many people, that nostalgia is physically stored in a garage shelf, spare room, or junk drawer—in the form of outdated electronics that haven’t been touched in years. And that’s exactly where responsible recycling comes in.

Why Should You Recycle Obsolete Electronics?

Electronics don’t belong in a landfill. According to the U.S. EPA, improper disposal of used electronics can expose people and ecosystems to high levels of contaminants including lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic—substances that can cause irreversible health effects such as cancers, neurological damage, and developmental harm.

The scale of the problem is staggering. The UN’s Global E-waste Monitor 2024 (published by UNITAR and the ITU) reports that a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was generated in 2022—up 82% from 2010 and on track to reach 82 million tonnes by 2030. Yet only 22.3% of that e-waste was properly collected and recycled. The rest was largely landfilled or sent to informal recycling operations where toxic materials leach into soil and water.

Proper recycling keeps these materials out of the environment. It also recovers valuable resources—the same 2024 report estimates that $91 billion worth of metals, including copper, gold, and iron, was embedded in 2022’s e-waste alone.

For Indianapolis residents, there’s an added legal dimension: Indiana’s Electronic Waste law, enacted in 2011, prohibits households, small businesses, and schools from disposing of electronic waste in the trash. Recycling isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s the law.

How Does E-Waste Recycling Protect Your Data?

Old devices don’t just hold memories—they hold data. Hard drives, smartphones, and laptops can retain sensitive personal information long after you’ve stopped using them. Simply deleting files or doing a factory reset often isn’t enough to make that data unrecoverable.

This is why certified data destruction matters. NIST Special Publication 800-88 (Guidelines for Media Sanitization) provides the federal standard for rendering data on storage media unrecoverable. The framework defines three levels of sanitization: Clear (overwriting data), Purge (using techniques that make recovery infeasible with state-of-the-art methods), and Destroy (physical destruction of the media). For most consumer devices, physical destruction of the hard drive is the most reliable option.

When choosing a recycler, look for certifications that include data security standards. RecycleForce, Indianapolis’s local electronics recycler, manually de-manufactures PCs and physically destroys hard drives to ensure data cannot be recovered. Their RIOS certification reflects a commitment to both environmental and data security standards.

For businesses handling large volumes of devices, working with an R2v3 or e-Stewards certified recycler provides an additional layer of assurance—both certifications require robust data sanitization practices as part of their standard.

Where to Find E-Waste Recycling in Indianapolis?

Marion County residents have three main options for responsible electronics disposal:

ToxDrop (City of Indianapolis)

The City of Indianapolis runs ToxDrop, a free household hazardous waste and electronics drop-off program exclusively for Marion County residents. Drop-off events are held every Saturday at two locations:

First Saturday of each month, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. — Traders Point Collection Facility, 7550 N. Lafayette Rd.
Second Saturday of each month, 9 a.m.–2 p.m. — Perry Township Government Center, 4925 S. Shelby St.

Accepted electronics include computers and laptops, monitors, printers, gaming systems, DVD/VHS players, televisions (27 inches or less), hard drives, USB drives, and much more. You can drop off up to five computer systems per visit. Note that ToxDrop does not accept commercial waste.

RecycleForce

RecycleForce accepts consumer electronics year-round at their facility at 816 N. Sherman Drive, during the following hours:

Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Saturday: 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Drop-off is free for most items. TVs, monitors, and refrigerant-bearing equipment carry a fee, due to the cost of safely processing the hazardous materials they contain (such as leaded glass, cadmium, and mercury in CRT televisions). Since 2006, RecycleForce has recycled more than 90 million pounds of electronic waste—and their work also supports one of the country’s largest prisoner re-entry programs.

Garden City Iron & Metal

Located in Columbus, IN, Garden City Iron & Metal provides services such as shredding, shearing, baling, and torch cutting to ensure proper recycling of all metals. Our facility is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to efficiently process various types of metals including aluminum, copper, brass, stainless steel, and even precious metals like gold and silver.

We also offer pick-up services for large quantities of scrap metal from businesses and industrial sites. Our team strictly follows all regulations set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to safeguard our environment while providing top-notch recycling services.

Ready to recycle old electronics? Contact us today to plan your drop-off.

Frequently Asked Q’s

Can I recycle batteries through ToxDrop or RecycleForce?

ToxDrop accepts AA, AAA, and lead acid batteries. However, lithium-ion batteries (found in laptops, smartphones, and tablets) require special handling due to fire risk. RecycleForce accepts batteries as part of electronics, but check with them directly about loose lithium battery drop-off. Many retail locations like Best Buy and Staples also accept batteries for recycling.

What vintage electronics are accepted for recycling?

VHS players, DVD players, older gaming systems, CRT monitors, digital cameras, MP3 players, and fax machines are all on the accepted list. If you’re unsure whether a specific item qualifies, check the full lists on the indy.gov ToxDrop page or RecycleForce’s materials list before heading over.

Do I need to wipe my devices before dropping them off?

It’s a good idea to perform a factory reset on devices before recycling, but this alone isn’t sufficient for complete data security. Certified recyclers handle data destruction as part of their process, physically destroying hard drives so data cannot be recovered.

Is e-waste recycling free in Indianapolis?

ToxDrop drop-off is free for Marion County residents. RecycleForce offers free drop-off for most electronics, with fees for TVs, monitors, and certain appliances that require specialized processing. Garden City Iron & Metal actually pays YOU for e-waste and scrap metal.

Quick Recap:

National Retro Day is celebrated on February 27 and was officially proclaimed in 2018
Old electronics contain toxic heavy metals including lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic
The world generated 62 million tonnes of e-waste in 2022; only 22.3% was properly recycled (Global E-waste Monitor 2024)
Indiana law prohibits throwing electronics in the trash (since 2011)
Always use a certified recycler that physically destroys hard drives to protect your data
Indianapolis residents can use ToxDrop (first and second Saturday of each month) or RecycleForce (year-round, 816 N. Sherman Drive), or Garden City Iron & Metal in Columbus
Drop-off is free for most items at all locations

Time to Clear the Clutter—Responsibly

National Retro Day is a celebration. But nostalgia doesn’t require holding onto broken or obsolete tech indefinitely. The devices gathering dust in your home may contain materials that can genuinely harm people and ecosystems if disposed of carelessly—and they likely carry personal data you’d rather keep private.

This February 27, take a few minutes to gather your outdated electronics and drop them off at a certified recycler. Indianapolis has the infrastructure to handle it safely, affordably, and locally.

Want to get paid cash for your old or broken electronics? Call Garden City Iron & Metal to get a free offer for your e-waste scrap. We pay competitive rates for in-demand items like computers, laptops, servers, monitors, printers, and television sets.

Call for a Free Offer