Video Game Console & Accessory Recycling Drop-Off

Give Old Gaming Equipment a New Destination

Do you have an older console still sitting beside your television, or a controller from a previous system has ended up in a drawer? Even when gaming equipment no longer works or is no longer used, it may still contain circuit boards, cables, metals and other materials suitable for recycling.

Ohata Resource Canada accepts eligible video game systems and accessories for free recycling drop-off at our Richmond, BC yard.

For an accepted item, you do not pay a recycling fee, and Ohata does not provide a purchase payment. This page describes a free-drop-off service rather than an e-scrap buying category.

You can review our free electronics drop-off category for other eligible household and office electronics.

What Gaming Equipment May Be Included?

This category is intended for identifiable video game systems and accessories. Examples may include:

Examples may come from familiar gaming families such as Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox, Sega and other older or newer systems. A brand name alone does not confirm acceptance; the item’s type, condition and safe handling requirements still need to be considered.

If you have an unusual accessory or cannot identify the system, send our Richmond team a photograph of the complete item and its model label before visiting.

Keep the Console Together

There is normally no need to open or dismantle a video game console before asking about recycling.

Whenever practical, leave the following parts installed:

• Exterior housing

• Internal circuit boards

• Internal storage

• Optical disc drive

• Cooling system

• Ports and connectors

• Buttons and switches

• Other original internal components

A complete or substantially assembled console is easier to identify and handle than a collection of loose parts.

If the console has already been opened or partially dismantled, tell us what has been removed. Keep loose components together, but do not place them back inside the housing if doing so could cause damage or create a safety risk.

Loose gaming circuit boards should be identified separately and compared with our circuit-board buying categories. Their presence does not mean that a dismantled console automatically qualifies under the complete video game system category.

Controllers and Gaming Accessories

Game controllers are included as gaming accessories rather than household remote controls.

Keep each controller assembled with its buttons, circuit board and housing intact. There is no need to dismantle a controller to show its internal electronics.

When preparing several accessories:

• Group controllers with their matching system when known

• Keep unidentified gaming accessories together

• Place small adapters and cables in a bag or container

• Coil cables loosely to prevent tangling

• Note missing battery covers or damaged connectors

• Identify cracked housings, exposed wiring or heavy corrosion

Gaming keyboards, mice, headsets, steering wheels, arcade-style controls and other specialized accessories can vary considerably. Please send photos if you are unsure whether an accessory belongs in this category.

Remove Games and Personal Items

Before dropping off a console, check for anything you want to keep.

Remove:

• Game discs

• Game cartridges

• Removable memory cards

• External hard drives

• USB storage devices

• Headphones or unrelated accessories

• Personal labels or documents

A game left inside a disc drive or cartridge slot may be difficult to retrieve after the equipment has been received.

If the system still operates, sign out of personal accounts and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for resetting or erasing the device. Modern consoles may contain account information, saved payment details, messages, photographs or other personal data.

If you cannot access or reset the system, let our team know.

TVs, Monitors and Computers Are Separate Items

A gaming setup may include more than the console itself.

TVs and computer monitors are managed under their own free-drop-off categories. Desktop computers and broken or partial laptops also have separate purchasing conditions.

Keep these items separated when preparing your load:

• Video game consoles and controllers

• TVs

• Computer monitors

• Desktop computers and laptops

• Loose circuit boards

• Loose batteries

• General household electronics

• Unrelated cables and adapters

Separating different equipment types helps our team identify what you have when it arrives.

If you would like qualifying circuit boards, computers or other components evaluated for purchase, review our current Canadian e-scrap buying categories and tell the team before completing your free drop-off.

You can also explore the Ohata Scrap Wiki for additional electronic-scrap identification and sorting information.

Working and Non-Working Systems

A video game system does not necessarily need to be working to be considered for free recycling drop-off.

Tell us if the equipment:

• Does not power on

• Has a damaged disc drive

• Has broken ports or connectors

• Is missing a controller or power adapter

• Has a cracked housing

• Has liquid or corrosion damage

• Has been opened or modified

• Contains a damaged battery

Severely burned, contaminated, leaking or otherwise unsafe equipment may require additional review and may not be accepted.

A missing cable or controller does not automatically make a console ineligible, but its overall condition still needs to be reviewed.

Preparing Video Game Equipment for Drop-Off

A little organization can make your Richmond visit easier.

Before leaving:

1. Remove games, memory cards and external storage devices you want to keep.

2. Sign out of accounts and reset the system when practical.

3. Keep consoles and controllers assembled.

4. Group matching accessories together.

5. Protect ports, screens and exposed connectors from impact.

6. Keep the equipment covered and dry during transport.

7. Tell us about battery damage, corrosion or missing components.

8. Contact us before bringing a large workplace, commercial or collection-sized quantity.

You do not need to identify every model or prepare a detailed inventory. Clear photographs, approximate quantities and a short description are usually enough to begin an inquiry.

Drop Off Video Game Consoles in Richmond, BC

Eligible video game systems and accessories received through this service are accepted free of charge, without payment to the customer.

Ohata Resource Canada Inc.
11220 Voyageur Way, Unit 7
Richmond, BC V6X 3E1

Individuals and businesses are welcome during regular business hours. An appointment is not required for an ordinary drop-off.

Drivers should use the parking and warehouse receiving area at the back of the building. Review our Richmond yard access information before your first visit.

For large quantities, unusual gaming equipment or devices with damaged batteries, contact our Richmond team before transporting the material.

Telephone and WhatsApp: +1 (236) 888-1086
Email: info-ca@ohata.ai