Commonly Asked Questions -- Electronic Waste

For more information on how to recycle electronics, please see our webpage on Electronic Waste: http://recycling.stanford.edu/5r/electronic.html

Q: How do I recycle my computer, television or other electronic items?
A: E-waste is a popular, informal name for electronic products nearing the end of their "useful life." Computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are common electronic products. Many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. Unfortunately, electronic discards is one of the fastest growing segments of our nation's waste stream.

On September 24, 2003, landmark legislation established a funding system for the collection and recycling of certain electronic wastes. Key elements of the Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 that affect product consumers include the collection of an electronic waste recycling fee at the retail point of sale of covered products and requirements on manufacturers to provide consumer information regarding recycling opportunities. The intent of this program is to enhance the availability of convenient recycling options for consumers so that products containing toxic compounds are not disposed of inappropriately.

Beginning January 1, 2005, an Electronic Waste Recycling Fee will be assessed on certain "covered electronic devices" sold in California. "Covered" means covered by the law, and includes most video display products such as computer monitors and televisions. The fee will be collected at the time of retail sale, including Internet and catalog sales, to California consumers. It is important to note that the Electronic Waste Recycling Fee is not a deposit, and that the covered products do not contain "redemption value", as do many beverage containers in California. Consumers are not entitled to reimbursement of the fee when covered products are recycled. Rather, the intent of the fee is to reduce, or eliminate, the costs associated with properly recycling this material when it becomes waste.

For more information on this law, please see this website: http://eRecycle.org

If you are a department on campus, you can place calculators, CDs, cellphones, PDAs, telephones, wireless devices, empty printer/toner cartridges, and other e-waste in the green Electronic Devices buckets (for more information and locations click here). For larger electronic items, please contact your DPA.

Residential customers, students, and community members may arrange a pick up (fee may apply) for monitors and televisions with PSSI. Computer monitors, televisions, laptop computers, and plasma screens are accepted for recycling at our office at 339 Bonair Siding, during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. Please do not leave them at the Stanford Recycling Drop-Off Center. It will be considered abandoned waste and will cost us to recycle and handle properly. We are able to accept these items in our office free of charge because of California’s new Electronic Waste Law (2005). The Law requires the consumer to declare that the item was purchased and used in California. To make this declaration, you, the consumer, must provide your name and physical address (P.O. Boxes not acceptable) for a State of California form in our office. Since the recycling of these items is funded through the State, the State must ensure that it is funding recycling by California residents and businesses.

For more information on how to recycle electronics on campus, visit this webpage: http://recycling.stanford.edu/5r/electronic.html

Q: What do I do with my old printer cartridges?
A: PSSI accepts printer and toner cartridges for recycling. 56% of American consumers throw out their empty printer cartridges instead of recycling them. A new study shows that approximately 167 million inkjet cartridges wind up in the landfill. Those cartridges add more than 40 million pounds of unnecessary waste to our nation’s landfills. The cartridges take more than 1000 years to decompose. Most printer cartridges can be refilled and reused. In order to close the loop, you should buy “remanufactured” printer cartridges. If your printer cartridges does not come with a mail back envelope, you can either bring it to the Stanford Recycling Drop-off Center or place it in one of the e-waste bins on campus (for locations click here). There are also mail back envelopes at the Post Office on campus. (Source: Refuse News January 2005).

Q: Can I recycle my old cell phone?
A: Yes, you can recycle your own cell phone by taking it back to where you bought it or your new one or you can bring it to the Stanford Recycling Drop Off Center. In general, a wireless phone handset consists of 40% metals, 40% plastics, and 20% ceramics and other trace materials. Thanks to new designs, more and more material in a wireless phone handset is recyclable. For more information on how to recycle cell phones, visit this webpage: http://recycling.stanford.edu/5r/cellphone.html

Q: Where can I recycle CDs and disks?
A: You can recycle CDs and computer disks at the Stanford Recycling Drop Off Center. We do not accept Jewel Cases, but they can sometimes be donated to local libraries for reuse.

Q: Where can I recycle my laptop battery?
A: You can find local retailers to take rechargeable batteries from laptop computers, cordless power tools, cellular and cordless phones, and camcorders at the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation’s website www.rbrc.com. The following rechargeable batteries can be recycled - Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small Sealed Lead (Pb). Look for the Battery Recycling Seal on the battery. Once you take it to the retailer, they ship them to a recycling facility for processing. The reclaimed materials can be used in new products - such as new batteries and stainless steel products. By recycling your used rechargeable batteries, you help to create a cleaner and safer environment, keeping harmful rechargeable battery by-products out of landfills and the solid waste stream.

Q: Local charitable organizations no longer take electronic equipment in need of repair. Where can these be recycled?
A: There are retail electronic shops that will repair your electronic equipment for a fee. Sometimes the cost of repair is more than the cost of new equipment, which can generally be determined up front. Recycling of electronic equipment however is different than repair and reuse of the equipment. Recycling generally means that the material is broken down and re-formed into the same product or a new one. Most electronic devices contain a variety of materials, including metals, that can be recovered for recycling. Recycling your waste electronics saves resources and protects the Earth because new metals don't have to be mined. As technology increases in the recycling field, many types of electronics are being recycled into new products. PSSI can recycle most electronic items (call us for details at 650-321-4236). To find reuse, repair, and recycling businesses that handle electronic products call the County Recycling Hotline (1-800-533-8414) or visit their webpage at http://recyclestuff.org/CDR.asp.

Q: Where can I find more information about California’s Electronic Waste Law?
A: Whether you are a retailer looking for a way to explain the e-waste recycling fee to your customers, a consumer confused about the fee or where to dispose of old electronics, or a local government with an obligation to educate your residents, eRecycle.org has something for you. The CIWMB, in partnership with manufacturers and other key stakeholders, established eRecycle.org as a one-stop portal into all things a Californian should know about managing electronic discards. http://www.erecycle.org.