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E-waste disposal in Orange County: where TVs, computers and batteries go
E-waste disposal in Orange County comes down to one rule: California bans TVs, computers, phones and batteries from the trash, so they go to one of the county's four household hazardous waste centers, a city e-waste pickup or a recycler instead. Below: what counts as e-waste, where each device goes, how to clear your data, and what the rules say about electronics in a cleanout.
What counts as e-waste under California rules
CalRecycle says e-waste has no clear definition; the term loosely covers unwanted electronics. State law gives it firmer edges. The Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003 and other state laws set up the Covered Electronic Waste (CEW) Recycling Program for video screens larger than four inches diagonally that the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) identifies as hazardous when discarded: CRT, LCD, LED, plasma and OLED televisions and monitors, plus laptops, tablets, smart displays and portable DVD players.
On January 1, 2026, Senate Bill 1215 added covered battery-embedded products to the program. These are devices whose battery is not designed to be easily removed with household tools, such as many cell phones, smart watches, wireless speakers and headphones.
Local definitions run wider. Tustin and Aliso Viejo call anything with a circuit board or battery e-waste, and Tustin's list reaches from cables to dishwashers. California's Universal Waste Rule groups TVs, computers and other electronics with batteries, fluorescent lamps and mercury thermostats.
Sources: CalRecycle: electronic waste management; CalRecycle: Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program; CalRecycle: electronic waste recycling fee; City of Tustin: electronic waste; City of Aliso Viejo: single-family waste and recycling services guide; City of Mission Viejo: universal waste fact sheet.
Why a TV or laptop can't go in the trash or the cart
CalRecycle's list of wastes banned from the trash names televisions, monitors, laptop computers, CPUs, printers, radios, microwave ovens, VCRs, cell phones, cordless phones and answering machines. California law views nonfunctioning cathode ray tubes, and the mercury bulbs in some screens, as hazardous waste. Every battery is banned too, from button cells to car batteries, and CalRecycle notes that batteries cause fires that injure workers at sorting facilities.
Tustin and Aliso Viejo both make it illegal to put e-waste in any of your carts, and the county landfills do not accept electronics at all.
You already paid toward the recycling. Since January 1, 2005, retailers have charged a fee on covered screens. As of November 2026 it is $4 for a screen over 4 inches and under 15, $5 for at least 15 inches and under 35, and $6 for 35 inches or more. Battery-embedded products carry 1.5% of the retail price, capped at $15 per device. The fee is not a deposit and is not refunded; it pays approved collectors and recyclers.
Sources: CalRecycle: waste banned from the trash; CalRecycle: electronic waste management; CalRecycle: electronic waste recycling fee; CalRecycle: Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program; City of Tustin: electronic waste; City of Aliso Viejo: single-family waste and recycling services guide; OC Waste & Recycling: FAQs.
Electronics recycling in Orange County: the four county centers
The main drop-off is free for county residents: OC Waste & Recycling's four household hazardous waste (HHW) centers take televisions, tablets, cell phones and computers. As of November 2026 they are at:
- Anaheim: 1071 N. Blue Gum Street, 92806
- Huntington Beach: 17121 Nichols Lane, Gate 6, 92647
- Irvine: 6411 Oak Canyon, 92618
- San Juan Capistrano: 32250 Avenida La Pata, 92675
All four open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., closing on major holidays and in rainy weather; the county line is 714-834-4000. The July 2026 fact sheet's accepted list covers CRT and flat-screen TVs and monitors, computers and laptops, game consoles, home microwaves, printers, copiers, radios, stereos (no speakers) and photovoltaic solar panels, plus batteries, e-bike batteries and fluorescent bulbs.
Two limits apply. The centers serve households only and may not accept waste from businesses, churches, schools, nonprofits, government agencies or people who live outside Orange County; the county says proof of residence may be requested, and Fullerton's Republic Services newsletter says it is required. Homebound seniors and disabled residents may qualify for the county's scheduled pickups; call to ask what they cover.
Sources: OC Waste & Recycling: household hazardous waste; OC Waste & Recycling: HHW center locations; OC Waste & Recycling: HHW fact sheet (revised July 2026); OC Waste & Recycling: FAQs; Republic Services: Fullerton newsletter 2025-2026; OC Waste & Recycling: HHW pickup eligibility.
City e-waste pickups and collection days
Many cities have their trash hauler collect electronics, often with bulky items. What the city and hauler pages said as of November 2026:
| City | What the program says | Who to call |
|---|---|---|
| Irvine | Curbside homes may request free e-waste pickup (batteries, computers, cell phones, TVs) with WM's bulky item service two times a year, per the city's e-waste page (WM's 2025 guide lists four bulky collections a year, so confirm with WM); extra pickups carry a nominal fee | WM, 949-642-1191 |
| Santa Ana | Computer monitors, TVs and laptops are accepted during the free bulky item pickups, four a year for curbside homes | Republic Services, (657) 467-6220 |
| Huntington Beach | TVs are not eligible for bulky item collection | Use a county center |
| Fullerton | Republic Services picks up bulk items and electronics by appointment | Republic Services, (800) 700-8610 |
| Tustin | CR&R collects and recycles e-waste when you schedule it | CR&R, (714) 372-8272 |
| Mission Viejo | WM collects e-waste with bulky items, and the city holds two e-waste collection events a year | WM, 949-642-1191 |
| Newport Beach | CR&R arranges door-side e-waste collection and needs a specific count and list of the items | CR&R, 949-667-4158 |
| Aliso Viejo | CR&R handles curbside pickup of electronic waste | CR&R, 877-728-0446 |
| Garden Grove | Free community cleanup days take e-waste and used household batteries; the November 6 event moved to Saturday, December 5, 2026 | See the city's cleanup days page |
Newport Beach's FAQ says the item list is required by law, so have a count ready wherever you book. CalRecycle's eRecycle directory lists collectors in the state program by county; call one to confirm its services and any charges before you load the car.
Sources: WM: City of Irvine summer 2025 newsletter; City of Irvine: trash services; City of Irvine: electronic waste; City of Santa Ana: bulky item pickup is free and easy; City of Santa Ana: illegal dumping and bulky item pickup; City of Huntington Beach: residential trash information; Republic Services: Fullerton newsletter 2025-2026; City of Tustin: electronic waste; City of Mission Viejo: household hazardous waste; City of Newport Beach: CR&R collection program FAQ; City of Aliso Viejo: single-family waste and recycling services guide; City of Garden Grove: cleanup days; CalRecycle: where do I recycle e-waste (eRecycle directory); WM: City of Irvine 2025 residential guide.
TV disposal: tube sets and flat screens
A CRT set is heavy and holds the tube California treats as hazardous once it stops working. A flat screen is lighter but is still a covered device. The county centers take both. Santa Ana and Irvine bulky pickups take TVs; Huntington Beach's does not, so residents there can use the county center on Nichols Lane. CalRecycle's advice is to reuse still-functioning electronics by donating or selling them, and to recycle the products that cannot be repaired. A big tube TV can take two people to carry down stairs, so line up a helper before loading it for a county center.
Sources: CalRecycle: electronic waste management; CalRecycle: Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program; OC Waste & Recycling: HHW fact sheet (revised July 2026); City of Santa Ana: bulky item pickup is free and easy; WM: City of Irvine summer 2025 newsletter; City of Huntington Beach: residential trash information.
Wipe phones, computers and drives before they leave
No drop-off will clean your data. The county destroys no drives or phones at its centers and says: "Residents should remove sensitive information prior to dropping off electronic waste." CalRecycle warns that "simply using your keyboard or mouse to delete files does not necessarily completely remove the information from your device's memory." The U.S. EPA says to delete all personal information and remove batteries, which may need separate recycling. General steps:
- Back up the photos, files and contacts you want to keep.
- Sign out of accounts and turn off any activation lock.
- Run the maker's erase or factory reset for that model.
- Pull out SIM cards, memory cards and removable drives.
- For a working computer, CalRecycle notes a software store can supply drive-cleaning software; for a dead one, remove the hard drive.
Sources: OC Waste & Recycling: household hazardous waste; CalRecycle: where do I recycle e-waste (eRecycle directory); U.S. EPA: electronics donation and recycling.
Electronics in a garage or estate cleanout: what the rules say
Garages and estates hold layers of electronics: a tube TV under a tarp, boxes of cords, old printers. California's Universal Waste Rule allows people and businesses to transport, handle and recycle these items under requirements that differ from those for most hazardous waste, and the lighter rules were adopted so the items are managed safely and kept out of the trash. CalRecycle explains that DTSC regulates and enforces the physical management of e-waste and inspects collectors and recyclers, while the state pays approved collectors and recyclers in its program for covered devices.
So electronics leaving a cleanout must end up with a collector or recycler, not in a landfill load, and the county HHW centers refuse business waste, so a hauler cannot use them. Ask anyone loading a truck where the TVs and computers will go. Paint, pool chemicals, motor oil and other household hazardous waste from the same garage are a separate matter: no junk hauler may take them, so set them aside for a county HHW center.
Or split the work: drop the electronics at a county center or book your city's e-waste pickup, and leave the furniture, boxes and shelving for a garage cleanout or an estate cleanout. To price the rest of the pile, send photos for a quote or call (657) 822-0016, and point out any electronics in the photos.
Sources: City of Mission Viejo: universal waste fact sheet; CalRecycle: Covered Electronic Waste Recycling Program; OC Waste & Recycling: FAQs; OC Waste & Recycling: household hazardous waste.
Questions people ask
Can I throw a TV in the trash in California?
No. Televisions and computer monitors are on California's list of electronics banned from the trash, and Orange County's landfills turn them away. Take the set to a county household hazardous waste center, or use your city's e-waste pickup where one exists.
Where can I recycle electronics in Orange County?
At any of the county's four HHW centers in Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Irvine and San Juan Capistrano, through your city hauler's e-waste pickup or a city collection day, or with an organization listed in CalRecycle's eRecycle directory. Devices that still work can be sold or donated instead.
Can a junk removal company take old electronics?
The universal waste rules let electronics be moved and recycled, but they have to reach a collector or recycler rather than a landfill. Ask any hauler where the electronics will go before they leave, or set them aside and drop them at a county center yourself.
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Household hazardous waste in Orange County
Paint, batteries, chemicals: where they go and what no hauler takes
Bulky item pickup in Orange County
How city bulky item pickup works in OC's largest cities
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Refrigerators, freezers, washers, dryers, stoves and water heaters hauled out
Get a quote for your junk removal
Send a few photos through the form or call (657) 822-0016, and tell us the city and where the items are.