Where to dispose of e-waste in San Diego

The City defines e-waste as household or office electronic devices — working or not — that you no longer use: cell phones, computers, laptops, monitors, and home electronics. DTSC goes further on covered video displays over four inches (TVs, CRT devices, LCD/OLED screens, laptops, tablets). Printers, keyboards, and small peripherals are still electronics even when they are not CEDs. Heavy metals are the reason none of this belongs in a gray cart.

Universal waste is a cousin, not the same counter: consumer batteries, fluorescent bulbs, and mercury thermostats. Those go to the Household Hazardous Waste Transfer Facility by appointment (Wednesdays and Saturdays 9 a.m.–3 p.m. at 5161 Convoy St, proof of City residency). The same campus refuses e-waste at the HHW window. Do not mix a leaking car battery in a box of laptops and expect one stop to take both without sorting.

Miramar Recycling Center (5165 Convoy St, Monday–Saturday 7 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) accepts TVs, monitors, laptops, and CPUs as donation-only recycling. Small electronics 1–49 pounds are listed at $0.25 per pound. Call 858-268-8971 for a large volume. WasteFreeSD and CalRecycle’s collector list cover the rest of the county, including nonprofit drop-offs.

Unincorporated franchise bulky pickup can include e-waste (stereos, televisions, computers) on the two free annual collections, three items per pickup. City of San Diego residents still self-haul or hire a hauler until a bulky program exists.

Fred’s e-waste removal starts at $69 curbside for a TV or small stack. We recycle; we do not landfill screens. We will not take swollen batteries, leaking UPS units, or unlabeled chemicals. Text a photo of the pile so CRT weight does not surprise anyone.