Short answer: a computer monitor is worth £0 as scrap, and most scrap yards won't take them. They're classed as WEEE-regulated hazardous waste — LCDs have mercury in the backlights, CRTs are filled with lead glass. Anyone offering you cash for them is either ignoring the regulations or planning to dump them illegally.
We don't buy monitors. Here's why.
- LCD/LED monitors contain CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent) or mercury-vapour backlight tubes, plus lithium-ion polymer batteries in some panels. Disposing requires a WEEE-licensed facility with the right separation kit.
- CRT (tube) monitors contain leaded glass (up to 8 kg of lead per 21" tube) plus a phosphor coating. The glass has commodity value but only to specialist CRT recyclers — there's only one or two in the UK now.
- Plasma displays contain xenon and neon gas under pressure, plus mercury traces in older models.
The cost to legally recycle these significantly exceeds the metal recovery value, which is why responsible buyers (us included) say no and unscrupulous ones say yes and then quietly skip them.
What to actually do with old monitors
1. Council Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC)
Every UK local authority must accept household WEEE including monitors free of charge. Find your nearest centre via RecycleNow. Bring your council tax bill or driving licence — some sites refuse non-residents.
2. Retailer takeback
UK retailers selling electrical goods must take back the equivalent old item free of charge under the WEEE regulations. If you bought a new monitor, ask the retailer (Currys, John Lewis, Amazon for some categories) about their takeback.
3. Producer / manufacturer takeback
Dell, HP, Lenovo and most major manufacturers offer free takeback of their own branded monitors. Check the brand's website for the asset recovery scheme.
4. Specialist WEEE recyclers
For business volume — schools, offices, council clearances — search for WEEE-licensed Category 4 (display equipment) processors in your area. They charge per item but provide proper Waste Transfer Notes and a recycling certificate. Expect £1–£3 per monitor.
What we DO buy
Computer monitors are out — but everything else from a workstation is in:
- Desktop PC the monitor was attached to — £0.65/unit
- Laptop the monitor was part of — £1.25–£1.70/unit (we extract the panel for licensed disposal)
- The PSU, keyboard, mouse — all standard rates
- If you're doing an office clearance with monitors in it: we'll quote everything else, you arrange monitor disposal separately
FAQ
What about a "scrap monitor for sale" listing on Gumtree?
Some people sell working monitors second-hand — totally legal, totally normal. The "scrap monitor" label is a misnomer in those cases; they mean used. As genuine end-of-life scrap, monitors aren't a thing you sell — they're a thing you pay to have removed.
Will a regular metal scrap merchant take my old monitor?
Some will. Most won't. If they do — and they look surprised when you mention WEEE registration — they're probably not handling it correctly. Use your HWRC.
What about the metal stand / arm?
If you can detach the stand cleanly (steel/aluminium) and bring just that without the screen panel, it goes as scrap metal at the standard rate for that metal. The panel itself goes to WEEE.
I have 200 office monitors from a clearance — can you sort it out?
Yes — we partner with a Cat-4 WEEE processor and can include monitor disposal as a line item on a mixed-IT collection job. The disposal cost is netted off the scrap-side payout. Get in touch for a combined quote.