Keyboards and mice are the most frequently replaced peripherals in any office or home setup. They wear out, break, get sticky, or simply stop working after a few years of daily use. Because they are small and inexpensive, many people toss them straight in the bin without a second thought. But keyboards and mice are electronic devices, and they deserve the same recycling consideration as any other piece of e-waste.
What Is Inside a Keyboard or Mouse?
Despite their apparent simplicity, keyboards and mice contain a surprising variety of materials. A standard keyboard includes a circuit board with copper traces and solder joints, a plastic housing (typically ABS plastic), rubber dome switches or mechanical key switches, steel or aluminium backplate (in some models), a USB cable with copper wiring, and sometimes LEDs or LCD displays.
A computer mouse contains a circuit board, an optical or laser sensor, plastic housing, micro-switches, a scroll wheel mechanism (with a tiny encoder), and either a USB cable or a rechargeable battery and wireless receiver.
Wireless keyboards and mice add rechargeable lithium-ion or lithium-polymer batteries to the mix, along with Bluetooth or RF receivers. The batteries are a key reason wireless peripherals should not go in general waste, as lithium batteries pose fire risks in waste streams.
Why They Should Not Go in the Bin
Individually, a keyboard or mouse might not seem like a significant environmental concern. But consider the scale of the issue. Australian businesses and households replace millions of these peripherals every year. Collectively, that is a substantial volume of plastics, metals, and electronic components that can be recycled rather than sent to landfill.
The circuit boards in keyboards and mice contain lead solder and small amounts of precious metals. The plastics may contain brominated flame retardants. Wireless models with lithium batteries create a genuine fire hazard if they end up in waste compactors or landfill machinery. Several waste facility fires in Australia have been attributed to lithium batteries in the general waste stream.
In Victoria, keyboards and mice are classified as e-waste and are banned from landfill under the state’s e-waste regulations.
How to Recycle Keyboards and Mice
The good news is that recycling peripherals is straightforward. The challenge is not the process itself but developing the habit of collecting them rather than binning them.
E-Waste Collection Bins
The simplest approach for offices is to set up a small e-waste collection bin near the IT area or supply room. Toss retired keyboards, mice, and other small peripherals into the bin as they are replaced. When the bin is full, include it in your next e-waste collection or take it to a drop-off point.
Council Drop-Off Points
Local council transfer stations and recycling centres accept keyboards and mice as part of their e-waste streams. These are typically free for residents. Just drop them in the designated e-waste area alongside other small electronics.
Bundled with Other E-Waste
If you are already arranging a collection of larger e-waste items (computers, monitors, printers), include your accumulated keyboards and mice in the same pickup. Most e-waste recyclers and ITAD providers will happily take peripherals along with higher-value equipment at no additional charge.
Retailer Drop-Off
Some electronics retailers accept old peripherals for recycling when you purchase replacements. Check with the retailer at the time of purchase.
What About Mechanical Keyboards?
Mechanical keyboards have experienced a renaissance in recent years, and their construction is different enough from membrane keyboards to warrant a mention. Mechanical switches (Cherry MX, Kailh, Gateron, etc.) contain metal contact points, springs, and small plastic housings. Higher-end mechanical keyboards often feature aluminium or steel cases, PBT plastic keycaps (which are more durable and recyclable than ABS), and sometimes brass or steel weight plates.
The materials in mechanical keyboards actually make them more valuable for recycling than typical membrane keyboards due to the higher metal content. However, if a mechanical keyboard is still functional, it may also have resale value on the second-hand market, particularly for well-known brands.
Wireless Peripherals: Battery Handling
If you are recycling wireless keyboards or mice that contain rechargeable batteries, keep the following in mind. Most modern wireless peripherals have non-removable internal lithium batteries. Do not attempt to pry them open to remove the battery. Recycle the entire unit through e-waste channels, and the recycler will handle battery separation safely.
Wireless mice and keyboards that use replaceable AA or AAA batteries should have the batteries removed before recycling. Recycle the batteries through a battery recycling program (available at most supermarkets, Officeworks, and battery retailers) and the peripheral through e-waste channels.
USB receivers (the small dongles that plug into your computer) are easy to lose or forget about. When recycling a wireless peripheral, try to include the USB receiver with it. If you have orphaned receivers without their matching devices, toss them in your e-waste collection bin rather than the general waste.
Ergonomic and Specialised Peripherals
Ergonomic keyboards, trackballs, drawing tablets, and other specialised input devices follow the same recycling principles as standard keyboards and mice. Some of these items, particularly drawing tablets, contain rechargeable batteries and LCD screens that add complexity to their recycling but do not change the basic approach: take them to an e-waste recycler rather than putting them in the bin.
Gaming peripherals with RGB lighting, built-in screens, or additional electronics contain more circuit board material than basic peripherals but are still processed through standard e-waste channels.
For broader guidance on managing e-waste in your workplace, see our complete guide to e-waste recycling in Australia.
EWV helps Victorian businesses manage e-waste and IT asset disposal compliantly and sustainably — including collection, certified data destruction, and recycling. Contact us for a free quote.