Electronic & Universal Waste Program
In February, 2006, the State of California prohibited the disposal of electronic waste, fluorescent tubes, consumer batteries and mercury thermostats into the trash. Known as "Universal Waste", these wastes are health and environmental hazards if they are disposed of improperly.
Examples of prohibited wastes:
Electronic Waste - Computers, computer peripherals, telephones, answering machines, radios, stereo equipment, tape players/recorders, phonographs, VCRs, CD players/recorders, calculators, and microwave ovens.
Mercury Containing Waste - Fluorescent tubes, high-intensity lights, sodium vapor lamps, metal halide lamps, and mercury thermostats and switches.
Consumer Batteries - Including carbon-zinc and alkaline, rechargeable, NiCad, lithium, and mercury button batteries. This includes AA, AAA, C, and D batteries.
Important Note:
Electronics are not the only common household materials that cannot be disposed of in the trash! Paint, cleaners and poisons are several examples of Household Hazardous Waste (HHW). For more information on HHW, and how to dispose of it properly, please visit our Household Hazardous Waste page.
Disposal Information
Electronic waste is accepted by a donation trailer, located at the John Smith Road Landfill.
Address of the landfill:
2650 John Smith Road
Hollister CA 95023
Hours of operation:
Mon - Fri: 8:00am - 4:00pm
Sat - Sun: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Several local businesses also accept household batteries, automotive batteries, cellular phones, computer equipment, televisions, etc. Some items are accepted for recycling and some are accepted for reuse. For a list of locations and what materials they accept, please view the San Benito County Reuse-Recycle-Repair Directory.
Other universal waste, like fluorescent lights, other mercury containing devices, and batteries are accepted at the San Benito County Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events:
| When: | Third Saturday of every month |
| Where: | John Smith Road Landfill |
| Time: | 9:00am to 12:00pm (noon) |
For more detailed information on these events, call (831) 636-4110.