Electronics Recycling in California
1138 recycling centers in 271 cities
E-Waste Recycling Laws and Programs in California
California has a longstanding electronics recycling program established by a 2003 state law – the first of its kind in the nation. Unlike most states, California's program is funded through an advanced recycling fee (ARF) paid by consumers at the time of purchase, rather than a manufacturer take-back model. Electronics recycling in California is widely accessible: consumers pay a small fee upfront that supports a statewide network of e-waste collection and recycling for devices like TVs, monitors, computers, and more. The state also bans the disposal of most electronic devices in landfills (effective since 2006), ensuring that e-waste is diverted to proper recycling facilities.
American Canyon
2 recycling centers
Anaheim
12 recycling centers
Anderson
2 recycling centers
Antelope
1 recycling center
Arroyo Grande
1 recycling center
Atwater
1 recycling center
Azusa
4 recycling centers
Bakersfield
31 recycling centers
Baldwin Park
3 recycling centers
Barstow
10 recycling centers
Bellflower
1 recycling center
Ben Lomond
1 recycling center
Berkeley
4 recycling centers
Bishop
3 recycling centers
Bostonia
1 recycling center
Brea
4 recycling centers
Buena Park
3 recycling centers
Burbank
1 recycling center
Burlingame
2 recycling centers
Camarillo
1 recycling center
Carmichael
5 recycling centers
Carson
3 recycling centers
Castroville
1 recycling center
Cathedral City
3 recycling centers
Challenge-Brownsville
1 recycling center
Chico
6 recycling centers
Chino
6 recycling centers
Chino Hills
1 recycling center
Chowchilla
3 recycling centers
Chula Vista
22 recycling centers
Citrus Heights
7 recycling centers
City of Industry
7 recycling centers
Clearlake
4 recycling centers
Clovis
2 recycling centers
Coachella
3 recycling centers
Colton
3 recycling centers
Compton
5 recycling centers
Concord
1 recycling center
Corona
6 recycling centers
Coronado
2 recycling centers
Costa Mesa
2 recycling centers
Cotati
1 recycling center
Covina
2 recycling centers
Crescent City
2 recycling centers
Culver City
2 recycling centers
Cupertino
3 recycling centers
Del Rey Oaks
1 recycling center
Delano
2 recycling centers
Desert Hot Springs
2 recycling centers
Diamond Bar
2 recycling centers
Dixon
1 recycling center
Downey
2 recycling centers
Durham
1 recycling center
El Cajon
7 recycling centers
El Centro
3 recycling centers
El Cerrito
1 recycling center
El Monte
3 recycling centers
Elk Grove
1 recycling center
Encinitas
3 recycling centers
Escondido
8 recycling centers
Fair Oaks
1 recycling center
Fontana
13 recycling centers
Fortuna
3 recycling centers
Fountain Valley
1 recycling center
Freedom
1 recycling center
Fremont
3 recycling centers
Fresno
13 recycling centers
Friant
1 recycling center
Fullerton
1 recycling center
Garden Grove
2 recycling centers
Gardena
6 recycling centers
Gilroy
1 recycling center
Glendale
3 recycling centers
Glendora
4 recycling centers
Goleta
4 recycling centers
Gonzales
1 recycling center
Grass Valley
12 recycling centers
Guadalupe
1 recycling center
Half Moon Bay
1 recycling center
Hanford
10 recycling centers
Hayward
4 recycling centers
Hemet
5 recycling centers
Hesperia
9 recycling centers
Hinkley
1 recycling center
Hollister
10 recycling centers
Huntington Beach
4 recycling centers
Igo
1 recycling center
Indio
5 recycling centers
Inglewood
6 recycling centers
Ione
2 recycling centers
Irvine
1 recycling center
Irwindale
2 recycling centers
Jackson
1 recycling center
Kelseyville
1 recycling center
Kerman
6 recycling centers
La Crescenta-Montrose
3 recycling centers
La Habra
2 recycling centers
La Mesa
3 recycling centers
La Puente
5 recycling centers
La Quinta
2 recycling centers
Laguna Hills
2 recycling centers
Laguna Niguel
1 recycling center
Lake Elsinore
2 recycling centers
Lake Forest
1 recycling center
Lakeport
4 recycling centers
Lakeside
1 recycling center
Lakewood
1 recycling center
Lancaster
1 recycling center
Lathrop
1 recycling center
Lemon Grove
1 recycling center
Lemoore
1 recycling center
Linda
1 recycling center
Live Oak
1 recycling center
Livermore
4 recycling centers
Lodi
1 recycling center
Long Beach
5 recycling centers
Los Alamitos
1 recycling center
Los Angeles
122 recycling centers
Los Banos
1 recycling center
Madera
5 recycling centers
Malibu
1 recycling center
Manteca
6 recycling centers
Marina
8 recycling centers
Martinez
1 recycling center
Marysville
2 recycling centers
Mather
1 recycling center
Maywood
3 recycling centers
McClellan Park
1 recycling center
Mendocino
1 recycling center
Merced
10 recycling centers
Milpitas
1 recycling center
Mission Viejo
1 recycling center
Modesto
5 recycling centers
Monrovia
1 recycling center
Montclair
5 recycling centers
Montebello
7 recycling centers
Monterey
3 recycling centers
Monterey Park
3 recycling centers
Moreno Valley
5 recycling centers
Morgan Hill
1 recycling center
Morro Bay
1 recycling center
Mountain View
2 recycling centers
Murrieta
3 recycling centers
Napa
8 recycling centers
National City
2 recycling centers
Nipomo
1 recycling center
Norco
1 recycling center
North Highlands
6 recycling centers
Norwalk
1 recycling center
Novato
2 recycling centers
Oakland
2 recycling centers
Oceanside
1 recycling center
Ojai
3 recycling centers
Olivehurst
1 recycling center
Ontario
5 recycling centers
Orange
3 recycling centers
Oroville
6 recycling centers
Oxnard
11 recycling centers
Pacifica
1 recycling center
Palm Desert
4 recycling centers
Palm Springs
7 recycling centers
Palmdale
5 recycling centers
Palo Alto
1 recycling center
Paradise
3 recycling centers
Paramount
3 recycling centers
Pasadena
1 recycling center
Paso Robles
7 recycling centers
Perris
4 recycling centers
Petaluma
4 recycling centers
Pico Rivera
2 recycling centers
Pine Grove
1 recycling center
Pittsburg
1 recycling center
Placentia
1 recycling center
Pomona
3 recycling centers
Porterville
2 recycling centers
Poway
2 recycling centers
Rancho Cordova
9 recycling centers
Rancho Cucamonga
1 recycling center
Redding
9 recycling centers
Redlands
5 recycling centers
Redwood City
3 recycling centers
Rialto
2 recycling centers
Ridgecrest
1 recycling center
Rio Linda
1 recycling center
Ripon
1 recycling center
Riverbank
2 recycling centers
Riverside
5 recycling centers
Rohnert Park
7 recycling centers
Roseville
2 recycling centers
Rowland Heights
1 recycling center
Sacramento
28 recycling centers
Salinas
13 recycling centers
Samoa
1 recycling center
San Bernardino
4 recycling centers
San Bruno
2 recycling centers
San Carlos
4 recycling centers
San Clemente
3 recycling centers
San Diego
45 recycling centers
San Dimas
1 recycling center
San Fernando
3 recycling centers
San Francisco
4 recycling centers
San Gabriel
1 recycling center
San Jacinto
1 recycling center
San Jose
28 recycling centers
San Juan Capistrano
4 recycling centers
San Leandro
2 recycling centers
San Marcos
2 recycling centers
San Martin
1 recycling center
San Mateo
2 recycling centers
San Rafael
7 recycling centers
Santa Ana
14 recycling centers
Santa Barbara
7 recycling centers
Santa Clara
2 recycling centers
Santa Clarita
2 recycling centers
Santa Cruz
8 recycling centers
Santa Fe Springs
4 recycling centers
Santa Maria
8 recycling centers
Santa Monica
3 recycling centers
Santa Paula
1 recycling center
Santa Rosa
8 recycling centers
Santee
2 recycling centers
Sausalito
1 recycling center
Scotts Valley
1 recycling center
Seaside
2 recycling centers
Signal Hill
2 recycling centers
Simi Valley
2 recycling centers
Sloughhouse
1 recycling center
Sonoma
1 recycling center
South El Monte
3 recycling centers
South Gate
3 recycling centers
South Lake Tahoe
2 recycling centers
South San Francisco
4 recycling centers
Spring Valley
2 recycling centers
Stanford
1 recycling center
Stanton
3 recycling centers
Stockton
6 recycling centers
Suisun City
1 recycling center
Sunnyvale
1 recycling center
Tehachapi
6 recycling centers
Temecula
3 recycling centers
Temple City
1 recycling center
Thousand Oaks
4 recycling centers
Thousand Palms
2 recycling centers
Torrance
4 recycling centers
Tracy
3 recycling centers
Truckee
3 recycling centers
Tulare
5 recycling centers
Turlock
6 recycling centers
Tustin
3 recycling centers
Twentynine Palms
5 recycling centers
Ukiah
10 recycling centers
Union City
2 recycling centers
Upland
7 recycling centers
Vacaville
4 recycling centers
Vallejo
5 recycling centers
Valley Springs
1 recycling center
Ventura
3 recycling centers
Visalia
5 recycling centers
Vista
4 recycling centers
Walnut
1 recycling center
Walnut Creek
1 recycling center
Watsonville
7 recycling centers
West Covina
4 recycling centers
West Hollywood
1 recycling center
West Sacramento
2 recycling centers
Whittier
4 recycling centers
Willits
1 recycling center
Windsor
1 recycling center
Woodland
3 recycling centers
Yuba City
9 recycling centers
Yucca Valley
1 recycling center
Recycling Statistics
How to Recycle Common Electronics in California
Not sure what a center will take or how to prepare? These step-by-step guides cover the items people ask about most.
How to dispose of an old TV
How to dispose of an old TV in 2026: free drop-off options, Best Buy TV recycling fees, what to do with a broken or flat screen TV, CRT disposal, and the states where throwing a TV in the trash is illegal.
How to recycle batteries and lithium batteries
How to dispose of lithium batteries and recycle every other kind in 2026: which types are safe to toss, which ones start fires, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Staples battery recycling, and how to prep them first.
How to recycle a laptop or computer
A practical 2026 guide to recycling an old computer or laptop: how to wipe your data first, where to drop it off for free, and what it actually costs.
How to recycle a printer and ink cartridges
A practical 2026 guide to recycling an old printer and its ink and toner cartridges: where to drop them off for free, which stores pay you back, and what to do before you let it go.
Best Buy recycling program: fees and limits
How Best Buy electronics recycling works in 2026: what you can drop off for free, the $29.99 TV and monitor fee, state exceptions, daily limits, haul-away prices, and what Best Buy will not take.
Staples recycling program: what they take
How the Staples recycling program works in 2026: the electronics it takes for free, the new fees for printers, monitors, and batteries, which states are exempt, ink cartridge rewards, and what Staples will not accept.
Why Electronics Recycling Matters in California
California's dense population centers and innovative economy mean a constant stream of new electronics. Keeping these devices out of our already stressed landfills is crucial for preserving our natural beauty and open spaces, preventing harmful substances from contaminating our environment.
Electronics Accepted for Recycling
Most electronics recycling centers in California accept a wide range of devices:
- • Desktop and laptop computers
- • Computer monitors and keyboards
- • Smartphones and tablets
- • Televisions and audio equipment
- • Printers and office equipment
- • Gaming consoles and accessories
- • Small household electronics
- • Cables, chargers, and adapters
Some facilities may have restrictions on certain items. CRT monitors and televisions require special handling due to lead content. Always check with your chosen recycling center about their specific acceptance policies.
State-Specific Recycling Regulations in California
Here's what consumers and manufacturers in California should keep in mind:
Consumer Responsibilities
- • Remove personal data before disposal
- • Use certified recycling facilities when possible
- • Separate batteries from electronic devices
- • Follow local collection guidelines
- • Keep receipts for business equipment disposal
Manufacturer Programs
- • Take-back programs for brand-specific devices
- • Trade-in credits for new purchases
- • Free recycling events and collection days
- • Mail-back programs for small electronics
- • Retail partnership programs
Important Notice
Regulations change frequently. Always verify current requirements with local authorities. Some municipalities may have additional restrictions beyond state laws. Business disposal may require special documentation or certified destruction services.
Preparing Electronics for Recycling in California
Data Security Steps
Protecting personal information is crucial before recycling electronics. Follow these essential steps:
- 1. Back up important files to cloud storage or external drives
- 2. Sign out of all accounts and applications
- 3. Perform a factory reset on the device
- 4. Remove or destroy storage devices if needed
- 5. Consider professional data destruction services
Physical Preparation
Proper preparation ensures safe transportation and processing:
- 1. Remove batteries from devices when possible
- 2. Keep cables and accessories together
- 3. Check for any removable storage media
- 4. Clean devices to remove personal items
- 5. Package securely for transport if needed
Finding Certified Recyclers in California
When choosing where to send your old gadgets, insist on recyclers who hold R2 or e-Stewards certifications. These designations ensure your devices are processed ethically and securely, protecting both your data and California's environmental standards. See our complete guide to certified electronics recycling centers for a full breakdown of what to look for.
Key Certifications to Look For
- • R2 (Responsible Recycling) certification
- • e-Stewards certification
- • ISO 14001 environmental management
- • NAID AAA data destruction certification
- • State-specific recycling licenses
What Certified Recyclers Provide
- • Secure data destruction services
- • Environmental compliance documentation
- • Material tracking and reporting
- • Worker safety protections
- • Transparent downstream processing
Curious what happens to your electronics after drop-off? See our step-by-step recycling process guide.
Environmental Benefits of Electronics Recycling
Recycling electronics in California helps conserve precious natural resources and reduces the energy demand associated with manufacturing new products. This practice directly supports our state's efforts to combat climate change and maintain air quality for everyone.
Resource Conservation
- • Reduces mining for new materials
- • Conserves precious metals and rare earth elements
- • Saves energy compared to virgin material production
- • Preserves natural resources for future generations
Pollution Prevention
- • Prevents toxic materials from entering landfills
- • Protects soil and groundwater from contamination
- • Reduces air pollution from incineration
- • Minimizes greenhouse gas emissions
Economic Impact
- • Creates jobs in the recycling industry
- • Generates revenue from recovered materials
- • Reduces waste management costs
- • Supports local green economy initiatives
Getting Started with Electronics Recycling in California
Don't let those old devices gather dust in your closet any longer; finding a local drop-off point is easier than you think. A quick search will reveal numerous certified collection sites across California, ready to accept your unwanted electronics.
Tips for Successful Electronics Recycling
- • Research recycler certifications before visiting
- • Prepare devices by removing personal data
- • Group similar devices together for efficiency
- • Ask about data destruction certificates
- • Inquire about pickup services for large items
- • Check for any fees before dropping off items
- • Consider manufacturer take-back programs
- • Schedule visits during facility operating hours
Business Electronics Recycling in California
California businesses, large and small, must have a clear strategy for managing their end-of-life IT assets. Improper disposal not only risks hefty fines due to state regulations but also exposes sensitive company data to potential breaches.
IT Asset Disposal
- • Servers and networking equipment
- • Desktop and laptop computers
- • Monitors and peripherals
- • Storage devices and drives
- • Telecommunications equipment
Office Equipment
- • Printers and copiers
- • Fax machines and scanners
- • Phone systems
- • Point-of-sale terminals
- • Security equipment
Specialized Devices
- • Medical electronics
- • Laboratory equipment
- • Industrial controllers
- • Audio/visual systems
- • Testing instruments
Business Recycling Benefits
Engaging professional e-waste recyclers offers significant advantages for your company. Beyond ensuring regulatory compliance, it safeguards proprietary information and often allows for the recovery of valuable materials, improving your operational footprint.
- • Secure data destruction documentation
- • Environmental compliance certificates
- • Liability protection and insurance
- • Asset tracking and reporting
- • Potential tax benefits for responsible disposal
- • Enhanced corporate sustainability profile
- • Reduced storage and management costs
- • Professional pickup and handling services
Have questions about what's actually true when it comes to e-waste? We bust the most common electronics recycling myths in our complete guide.