How To Recycle Electronics in San Diego

Technology evolves fast, and the lifespans of devices have shortened. Items might not last as long as they used to. The landfills are filling up fast, so the City of San Diego urges you to recycle your electronics instead of throwing them in the trash.

Recycling Options

• Batteries- For recycling batteries, you can contact Call2Recycle for help. This includes batteries found in mobile phones, hearing aids, fire alarms, toys or computers and cameras, or rechargeable power tools – and more. This organization guides you through the steps of properly finding a “new home” for your batteries.
• Electronic Devices- Any item not working often has materials on it that refurbishing technicians might either repair or extract and use on new devices. Take it to any San Diego recycling center that processes them. If you don’t know where the drop-offs are, try some of these resources to locate ones near you. A number of non-profit organizations accept them if they can use them to help others, which you can find more information about below.
• Manufacturer Recycling- If you still have the packaging for your electronic equipment, check on it or in the manual. It might offer contact information about a recycling program, which many manufacturers offer for free. If you’re not sure, then visit the electronic brand’s website or check out some resources provided by the city.
• Donating Options- Donating provides plenty of opportunities for safely removing electronic items from your property. If they work, you can find several places to deliver them. Drop them off at a thrift store, post giveaways on social media, or contact organizations such as World Computer Exchange, Human-I-T, or similar charities.

Preparing for Recycling

Follow your local neighborhood recycling guidelines and note that the City of San Diego does not provide curbside recycling services for electronic items. Check out the Miramar Recycling Center for more guidelines on how to properly send off your unwanted devices. For instance, they might suggest making sure they are not inundated with dirt, grime or other debris inside them.

Give them a good wipe before dropping them off at a recycling center if you can. You can drop off some items for free, but others might require a drop-off fee.

You’re also going to probably need some bins for transporting your recycled items. For drop-off, you can use the same ones you used for recycling because you’re going to keep them anyway.

However, you can also browse a variety of other bins and boxes for use with San Diego electronic device recycling. Some are also suitable for shipping if you choose to send off usable items to other places. Feel free to also call us for more information.