Don’t trash electronics -- recycle

UNWANTED laptop computers, monitors, printers, VCRs, stereos and other electronic equipment can be dropped off at the Earth Day Recycling Roundup on Saturday in Torrance, diverting tons of garbage from landfills.

Where will all that trash go? The answer depends on the trash, says Randy Lewis, president of SoCal Computer Recyclers, a state-authorized waste collector running the event.

Televisions, which have components that contain leaded glass, toxic gas and other hazardous materials, are sent to state-authorized recyclers who crush and recycle glass, pull out reusable metals, then recycle or incinerate the rest.

All computers’ hard drives are run through a security program and then erased. Obsolete models are turned over to a company that employs people with development disabilities to disassemble hardware into base components for recycling.

“We get coffee machines, vacuum cleaners, satellite dishes, cable boxes,” all of which are broken down and recycled, Lewis says. “Somebody dropped off a really cool original Commodore 64 computer, and the geek in me just jumped for joy.”

E-waste can be turned in from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Way, Lot J, between Van Ness and Western avenues. What won’t be accepted: paint, motor oil, large appliances and household waste, among other things. For a complete list, go to www.socalrecyclers.com. The website also posts future collection dates and sites.

Information: (310) 626-8180.