E-waste disposal in the Redwood City area
updated August 2023
There are several local places to dispose of e-waste for free in an
environmentally-friendly manner. Click on each link for more information
about the most popular places.
* Recology
(San Carlos)
* Staples office supply stores (Menlo Park, Cupertino, and elsewhere)
*
Best Buy (San
Carlos, Mountain View, and other
locations)
*
Stanford
(Palo Alto)
The San Carlos e-waste drop-off is located in the Recology complex at 333 Shoreway Road, San Carlos. Approaching from the south (Holly Avenue), it's the first driveway past Lyngo Garden Materials. Approaching from the north (Ralston/Oracle Parkway), it's the last driveway in the complex. right before you reach Lyngso. Look for the sign in the photo below that reads Gate 1: Public Recycling Center / Main Entrance. Open 8:30 AM - 4 PM Monday-Saturday. It gets crowded on Saturday from about 11 AM to about 2:30 PM so try to drop off during the week or outside this busy window. When you enter the Recology complex, make the first left into the recycling area and the attendant will direct you where to drop off your stuff. E-waste goes on the left side, about halfway down, in the large cardboard bins.
In addition to e-waste, you can also recycle cardboard, mixed paper, batteries, fluorescent light bulbs, paint, soda bottles, aluminum cans, scrap metal, and other items. Details are on their website
https://rethinkwaste.org/shoreway-environmental-center/location-hours/
Staples Office supply stores (Menlo Park, Cupertino, and elsewhere)
Detailed information on Staples recycling is
available here.
Every Staples office supply store will take e-waste on a space-available
basis, provide they have room, and if it is an item category that they actually
sell - such as laptop computers, desktop computers, monitors, printers, ethernet
switches or routers, modems, keyboards, mice, etc. Phone the store to see
if they have room, and you will need to fill out
this form or use their Staples Connect app. You can print out the form and bring it with you, or the employees can give you a form to
fill out when you arrive at the store.
Detailed information on Best Buy recycling is available here. Most Best Buy locations will recycle e-waste for the public, even if you didn't buy it there. Phone ahead to check that they have room in their bin. The San Carlos store is located at 1127 Industrial Road, San Carlos, in the mini-shopping center behind TJ Maxx. The driveway into this shopping center is opposite Howard Avenue. The San Carlos store phone number is 650-622-0050. The Mountain View Best Buy is at 715 E. El Camino Real, just south/east of the 85 freeway. Their phone is 408-738-8680.
You can recycle e-waste at Stanford University. They have two different
locations for different types of e-waste.
Both are open to the public. You do not need to be affiliated with
Stanford to use these services.
Public self-service drop-off for small items (cell phones, wires, hair
dryers, power adapters, etc.)
The public self-service drop-off location for small items is located at 701 Serra
Street, Stanford (Palo Alto). The self-service location cannot accept items that are too large
to fit into their recycling barrels.
When driving down Serra Street from El Camino Real, it will be the second
place you can turn right, about 300 feet past Pampas Street. If you get to
the fire station, you went too far. Park and then
walk through the entrance to the public recycling area, where you will find separate
bins and barrels for cardboard, plastic, small electronics, glass, scrap metal, etc.
Last time I checked, the barrels for small electronic items were on
the right after you walk inside the gate.
Open to the public Monday through Friday 8-5, Saturday 9-5.
Details are listed here,
including a list of items they will accept.
Drop-off for larger electronic items (laptop computers, desktop computers, monitors, printers, microwave
ovens, etc.)
Last time I checked, they
accept e-waste Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM until about 4:00 PM, but they close for lunch from noon – 1:00 PM.
They will ask you to fill out some paperwork, listing how many screens you have
(laptop screens, desktop screens, or tablets) and you need to provide your name and
contact info. They will write numbers
on the screens (computers and monitors) with a Sharpie, so please keep the items
with screens separated from the
rest of the stuff, so it’s easier for the staff.
recycling@stanford.edu, phone 650-321-4236
339 Bonair Siding Rd, Stanford (
On Bonair Siding heading toward El Camino Real, turn right into the driveway
just before the pedestrian crossing sign.
Look for the trailer immediately to the right, with some wooden steps leading up to the door. You will see a metal cabinet marked "e-waste." Unload your stuff next to the cabinet, then go into the office and they will give you the paperwork to fill out.