E-waste recycling in Palo Alto

Old electronics pile up fast: a drawer of chargers, the laptop from two jobs ago, a printer that jams, a TV replaced by a bigger one. In Palo Alto, most of it has an easy home. GreenWaste of Palo Alto accepts a long list of small electronics in the blue recycling cart. The exceptions matter, though. Devices with built-in batteries can start fires in trucks and sorting plants. Screens contain materials that need special handling.

This guide sorts electronics into four routes: the blue cart, the hazardous waste station, Clean Up Day and reuse. It is based on the GreenWaste material guide, the city's curbside and hazardous waste pages and CalRecycle's program pages, checked in November 2026. For the full cart system, see our trash and recycling guide.

Quick guide: where each device goes

Small electronics in the blue cart

Palo Alto is unusual in accepting electronics with regular recycling. The city's curbside collection page lists appliances, calculators, computers, computer peripherals and home entertainment gear such as game systems, DVRs, VCRs, stereos and radios. GreenWaste's detailed material guide adds cameras, keyboards, printers, scanners, fax machines and vacuum cleaners. It also lists electric toothbrushes and shavers, but only models whose batteries come out.

Three conditions apply:

1. Remove all batteries. The guide's electronics heading says so in bold. A remote, a clock or a toy with AA batteries can go in the cart only after the batteries come out.
2. Take out ink cartridges. Printers go in without them. The cartridges themselves are listed under rigid plastics, so they can go in the cart separately.
3. Fit under the lid. Everything has to fit in the cart with the lid closed and stay under the weight limit printed on it, with a maximum of 200 pounds.

Bundle cords and cables so they do not tangle in the sorting machinery. Small electronics count toward your regular cart space, so a big cleanout may be better saved for Clean Up Day, when recyclables in labeled boxes are unlimited.

Phones, laptops and anything with a built-in battery

The material guide carries a footnote that changes everything for modern devices: electronics with embedded batteries are hazardous waste and cannot go in the recycle bin. That covers cell phones, laptops, tablets and e-readers. It also covers smaller things such as wireless earbuds, smartwatches, rechargeable toothbrushes, vapes and power banks. Lithium-ion cells crushed in a truck can overheat and catch fire. GreenWaste's winter 2025 newsletter warned that these fires are becoming more frequent.

Take these devices to the city's Household Hazardous Waste Station at 2501 Embarcadero Way. The station lists small electronics with embedded batteries among accepted items. It is open every Saturday from 9 to 11 a.m. and the first Friday of each month from 3 to 5 p.m. Bring proof of Palo Alto residency and stay in your car while staff unload. Our household hazardous waste guide lists the holiday closures and limits.

Wipe your data first

Recyclers handle huge volumes and you should not count on anyone else erasing your files. Before you drop off a phone, tablet or laptop:

• Back up photos, contacts and documents.
• Sign out of cloud, app store and device-finding accounts so the device is not locked to you.
• Use the built-in factory reset or erase option.
• Remove SIM and memory cards and keep or destroy them.
• For an old desktop, run a drive-wiping tool or remove the hard drive and keep it.

Paper records are a separate job, covered in our document shredding guide.

TVs and computer monitors

Screens are the awkward category. GreenWaste's guide says TVs and computer monitors are not accepted in the blue cart. The city's hazardous waste page says the station does not take TVs, monitors or microwaves without embedded batteries and points residents to electronics retailers that take them back.

For single-family homes the simplest route is Clean Up Day. The material guide lists televisions and computer monitors among the large items GreenWaste picks up at the curb on your two pre-scheduled dates. A TV counts toward your bulky or individual item allowance depending on its size and weight. Outside those dates, GreenWaste will collect large items on your regular service day for a fee if you call at least a week ahead. Our bulky item pickup guide lists the limits and the 2026 charges.

Apartment residents should ask the property manager about the complex's Clean Up Day or debris box. If a retailer take-back is your choice, confirm the program on the store's own site before you carry a heavy screen in.

State programs and fees

California has charged an electronic waste recycling fee at purchase on many video display devices for years. CalRecycle uses it to pay approved collectors and recyclers under the Covered Electronic Waste program. In 2026 the program grew. Under SB 1215, consumers have paid a recycling fee at purchase on covered battery-embedded products since January 1, 2026, according to CalRecycle's battery-embedded products page. That means devices whose batteries cannot be removed with common household tools. Some medical devices, energy storage systems and vapes are excluded. CalRecycle began accepting payment claims for this waste on April 1, 2026.

For residents, the useful tool is CalRecycle's eRecycle directory, which lists approved e-waste collectors by area. Call ahead, since hours and accepted items vary.

Reuse and repair before recycling

A working device is worth more in someone's hands than in a shredder. A few options:

• Repair it. The volunteer-run Repair Café holds free sessions at the Museum of American Heritage, where fixers look at electronics, small appliances and computers. The next Palo Alto date is Sunday, November 8, 2026. Our repair and reuse guide has details.
• Sell or give it away. Local buy-nothing groups move working monitors and printers quickly.
• Donate media and gear. The Friends of the Palo Alto Library accepts CDs, DVDs, software, cameras and typewriters for its book sales, but not general electronics.
• Trade it in. Many phone makers and carriers run trade-in or mail-back programs. Check the terms on the company's own site.

If you are shopping for a replacement, our electronics and tech guide covers stores in and near town.

Special cases

• Smoke detectors with sealed batteries: the city says to contact the manufacturer.
• Continuous glucose monitor pods: also manufacturer take-back, per the city.
• Solar panels: not accepted at the station; the city refers them to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control.
• Large appliances: washers, dryers, refrigerators and stoves are bulky items for Clean Up Day or a paid pickup.
• E-bike and scooter batteries: these are lithium batteries, so they never go in a cart. Call Zero Waste Palo Alto before bringing a large pack to the station.

Frequently asked questions