Recycling Electronics in California
There’s practically no end of shiny new gadgets and software to run on them, and it’s easy to forget about what happens to all this stuff when it becomes obsolete. Much of it is eventually thrown in the trash and will end up in a landfill. This is unfortunate because electronic waste often contains toxic substances such as lead and mercury, which in some landfills may seep into a water source. And it’s another kind of waste altogether when trashed hardware contains valuable metals such as gold and copper that could have been reused.
Sadly, according to the EPA, the United States does not have any comprehensive regulations for the disposal of electronic waste. But while the Federal government is behind the times, California and many other state governments are not. These state regulations differ greatly in their scope and effectiveness, so here we will only talk about the laws in California.
California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control classifies computers, their peripherals, cell phones, monitors, media players, and similar devices as “Electronic Waste” – also known simply as “e-waste.” This category is also a subset of a larger group which the DTSC refers to as “Universal Waste.” And while this name sounds relatively harmless, it’s a horrible misnomer. Universal Waste, according to the DTSC, is hazardous waste that contains toxic substances – such as refrigerators, washers, and other household appliances.
By law in California, it is illegal to throw e-waste in the trash, and many programs have been established to help businesses and consumers recycle their old electronic devices. Even so, finding out how to recycle e-waste can be confusing, and it isn’t always free. Many retailers have either voluntarily or legally been obliged to accept e-waste at their stores, but of course they don’t handle the recycling themselves, and there’s little guarantee that it would be done properly. Plus, these retailers usually accept only specific types of devices – for example, a T-Mobile store will only accept old cell phones.
In our opinion, the best way to recycle is to look for “recycling events” hosted by local e-waste collection companies in collaboration with city governments. At these events, you can usually drop off all kinds of e-waste without any fees. For San Diego, you can find a schedule of local recycling events on SanDiego.gov (More on San Diego’s recycling program). Outside of these events, most collection companies charge fees for some of the devices they accept, and many of them also offer additional services such as document destruction or waste pickups.
If you can’t wait for the next event or there won’t be one in your area, you can find the nearest collector with CalRecycle’s directory. And if you have your doubts about a particular collector or recycler, you can use the California DTSC website to find out what a company is licensed for. There you can see whether the collector does its own recycling or ships it elsewhere. It’s also a good idea to make sure your collection company doesn’t ship waste outside California where regulations for the safe handling of toxic materials is lacking or unenforced.
