Electronic Waste - Ventura County Public Works Agency (2024)

FAQs

What steps should individuals take to dispose of their electronic devices? ›

Gold Coast Recycling accepts: latex paints, motor oil and filters, antifreeze, household batteries, auto batteries, fluorescent bulbs and tubes and electronic waste. Household batteries can be dropped off at one of the City's Tech Recycling stations; City Hall and Public Works Maintenance Yard.

The vast majority of electronics can be recycled, and the items within them that can be recovered include plastic, steel, aluminum, copper, gold, silver, and other precious metals. Those metals can be given a second life, and that's why recycling is such an ideal solution to this problem.

Dispose of the Old TV at a Recycling Centre

Recycling centres are equipped to handle electronic waste in an environmentally safe manner. They have trained professionals who know how to dismantle the TV, separating its components for recycling and proper disposal.

How to Securely Erase Data. Before getting rid of any electronic equipment and devices, you should start by moving or backing up all your valuable documents and media files. Then, sign out of your various online accounts, after which you can wipe the disk using a secure erasing tool or destroying the hard drive.

Drop off household batteries at a temporary Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event or Permanent Center. Check with your local electronics store or mobile phone provider for rechargeable battery disposal option. Drop off at a designed County Library or Designated Collection site (listed below)

Recycle your unwanted house paint, primer, stain, or varnish for free at a PaintCare drop-off location. Both latex and oil-based products are accepted. All locations accept up to five gallons per visit (some take more). Paint containers should be five gallons in size or smaller and have original labels.

Used oil and filters can be taken to a state Certified Collection Center (CCC), some locations do not accept filters. CCCs are required by state law to pay a $0.40 per gallon recycling incentive upon request. CCC locations: Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery or contact your local HHW/Recycling Coordinator.

Why is e-waste a problem? ›

Once in the environment, toxic pollutants from e-waste or produced through unsound recycling activities can travel significant distances from the point of pollution, exposing people in faraway areas to health-damaging substances.

E-waste can also contain precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum. The recycling process starts by separating these valuable metals from other parts of the e-waste. The metals are then sold to investors who melt them down into bars of metal that can be used again.

Electronic waste (or e-waste) is any electronic equipment that is no longer useful as originally intended such as computers, mobile phones, televisions, fax machines, etc. E-waste should not be placed in your red lidded garbage bin as toxic substance can leach into the environment when processed or landfilled.

Recycle your old Computer

In some communities, there will also be a place that can take electronic equipment for safe disposal. This will often be connected to the municipal sanitary landfill, garbage collection, or recycling organizations.

Most charities accept old mobile phones, whether they are working or not. They can raise valuable funds by passing them on to mobile phone recycling companies. Broken mobile phones can be disposed of at most Recycling Centres in the container for small electricals - find you nearest below.

Never dispose your mobile devices together with the external storage media. If you are not reusing them, either perform a secure erasure on it or destroy it physically! Performing “factory reset” on your mobile device does not remove information stored in your SIM card.