Old TVs, monitors, laptops and printers can't go in a Los Angeles trash can, but getting rid of them is usually free. Which free option you have depends on the city you live in, because LA, Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena each run e-waste differently. Here's how each one works, what to do with the batteries, and when it's easier to have someone carry it out.
Why electronics can't go in the trash
California's banned-from-the-trash list names TVs, monitors, laptops, computer CPUs, printers, radios, microwave ovens, VCRs, cell phones and cordless phones.[1] The reason is what's inside. The state treats non-working CRT tubes, and the mercury bulbs in some TVs, laptops, tablets and monitors, as hazardous waste.[2]
Screens get extra attention under the state's E-Waste Recycling Act. Any video display with a screen larger than 4 inches, whether it's CRT, LCD, LED, plasma or OLED, counts as a "covered electronic device."[3] That's why you pay a recycling fee when you buy one: $4 for screens over 4 inches and under 15, $5 up to 35 inches, and $6 for 35 inches or more.[3] Since January 1, 2026, products with built-in batteries are part of the same program too.[2]
Leaving a set in an alley isn't a shortcut. Dumping on a road, public property or someone else's land is illegal in California,[4] and a first conviction carries a mandatory fine of $250 to $1,000.[4]
Your free options, city by city
Start with the city on your trash bill, not your mailing address. North Hollywood, Studio City, Van Nuys and most of the Valley are inside the City of Los Angeles;[5] Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena run their own programs.
| Where you live | Free curbside option | Free drop-off |
|---|---|---|
| City of Los Angeles | Large e-waste picked up free through MyLA311[6] | S.A.F.E. Centers, weekends[7] |
| Burbank | TVs picked up as bulky items with no special handling fee[8] | Recycle Center Drop Zone, 500 S. Flower St.[9] |
| Glendale (1–4 units) | TVs and computers on the City's bulky list[10] | Glendale Recycling Center, 540 W. Chevy Chase Dr.[11] |
| Pasadena | None: bulky pickup excludes e-waste[12] | S.A.F.E. Centers or a Rose Bowl e-waste day[13],[14] |
City of Los Angeles
LA Sanitation (LASAN) offers free curbside pickup for large electronic items, booked through MyLA311 or its Customer Care Center at 1-800-773-2489.[6] Its bulky item page lists TVs, computers and monitors among what crews collect.[15] The same page also describes bulky items as non-hazardous and non-electronic,[15] so be specific when you book.
A few details make the pickup go smoothly:
- Schedule it one business day or more ahead of trash day. Crews collect on your regular collection day.[15]
- Have an itemized list ready. LASAN asks for one when you schedule.[15] Drivers can only take what's on the day's work order, so a TV you forgot to list may stay on the curb.[16]
- Use MyLA311 any time. Requests go in online around the clock at myla311.lacity.gov, and the 311 call center answers weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.[17]
LASAN's curbside programs serve homes it collects from, which its pages describe as 1 to 4 units.[15] If you rent in a bigger building, ask your manager how the building handles e-waste, or take it to a S.A.F.E. Center yourself.
Burbank
In Burbank, TVs are on the bulky item list with no special handling fee, unlike appliances and mattresses.[8] Book through the Our Burbank 311 portal or app at least two business days before trash day, with a photo of the item,[8] or call (818) 238-3800 at least one business day ahead.[8] The City says electronics collected this way get recycled rather than landfilled.[8]
You can also drive it over yourself. The Burbank Recycle Center's Drop Zone at 500 S. Flower St. takes computers, laptops, TVs, monitors, wires, power strips and batteries from Burbank residents and small businesses, and may ask for proof of residency.[9] Each household can bring up to 100 pounds of e-waste a year.[9] Two City pages list different Drop Zone hours, so call (818) 238-3900 before you go.[9]
Glendale
Glendale homes and buildings with 1 to 4 units get City bulky pickup,[11] and TVs and computers are on the accepted list.[10] Request it at least three business days ahead with the City's online form or the Recycle Coach app,[11] and put items out after 6 p.m. the evening before.[11]
For drop-off, the Glendale Recycling Center at 540 W. Chevy Chase Dr. is open weekdays from 7:30 in the morning until 4:45 in the afternoon, and Saturdays from 8 until 3:30.[11] It takes computers, TVs, monitors, phones, audio and video gear, small appliances, batteries and cords.[11] On an older City table, TVs, computers, tablets and phones were accepted free, while printers, DVD players, microwaves and other circuit-board items carried a fee.[18] Don't take electronics to Glendale's hazardous waste facility on Flower Street; it sends e-waste to the Recycling Center.[19]
Pasadena and Altadena
Pasadena's bulky item pickup won't take TVs, DVD players, phones, game consoles, computers or monitors.[12] Instead, the City directs residents to the free S.A.F.E. Centers,[13] naming the Los Angeles–Glendale center at 4600 Colorado Blvd.[20] Pasadena also holds one-day e-waste and document-shredding events at the Rose Bowl, scheduled around the stadium's calendar.[14] Leave air conditioners, big printers and copiers, car batteries and solar panels at home, because the Rose Bowl events turn them away.[14]
Altadena is unincorporated county, not Pasadena. Its on-call bulky pickup through the County's hauler takes up to 10 e-waste items per pickup.[21]
What to expect at a S.A.F.E. Center
S.A.F.E. stands for Solvents, Automotive, Flammables and Electronics.[6] The centers are free for both City of LA and LA County residents,[7] and County residents can use the HHW and e-waste services as often as they need.[22]
| Center | Address | Open |
|---|---|---|
| East Valley (Randall Street) | 11025 Randall St., Sun Valley 91352 | Sat and Sun, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.[7] |
| North Valley (Nicole Bernson) | 10241 N. Balboa Blvd., Northridge 91325 | Sat and Sun, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.[23] |
| Los Angeles–Glendale | 4600 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles 90039 | Saturdays only, 9 a.m.–3 p.m.[24] |
At Randall Street the line forms southbound on Randall, and the center shuts for a winter break from December 24 to January 3.[7] At Balboa, the line starts on Devonshire St. between Amestoy Ave. and Balboa Blvd.[23] The Colorado Blvd. site asks for a state photo ID at the security gate.[24]
You don't get out of the car. Staff unload it while you wait inside with the engine off, so pack things in the trunk where they can reach them.[6] Bad weather can close a center or shorten its hours.[7] If your load also includes paint or chemicals, see our paint and chemicals guide for the per-visit limits.
The County and the Sanitation Districts also run free one-day drive-through collection events, mostly Saturdays from 9 to 3, with no appointment.[25] They won't take refrigerators, stoves, washers or business waste.[25] Solar panels aren't accepted at any County event or center.[26]
Batteries, bulbs and the small stuff
The small items cause more trouble than the TV. Every battery type is banned from California's trash, recycling and organics bins: AA, AAA, button cells, 9-volts, rechargeables and car batteries.[1] LASAN adds lithium-ion and e-bike or e-scooter batteries to that warning and asks you to tape the terminals before taking them to a S.A.F.E. Center.[6]
- Burbank: the Drop Zone takes batteries and e-bikes, but not loose e-bike batteries.[9]
- Glendale: batteries go to the Recycling Center with other e-waste.[11]
- Anywhere: The Battery Network (formerly Call2Recycle) has a drop-off locator, and it notes that lithium and soft-sided batteries need extra prep to prevent sparks.[27]
Fluorescent tubes are banned from the trash as well, and CalRecycle says LED lights shouldn't go in either.[1] For anything else with a plug, CalRecycle's eRecycle directory lists approved e-waste collectors.[2]
Donate or sell it if it still works
CalRecycle's order of operations is reduce, then reuse by donating or selling working items, then recycle what can't be fixed.[2] Local donation rules for electronics vary a lot:
- Goodwill Southern California takes e-waste, meaning anything with a battery or a plug, in any condition.[28] It doesn't pick up, so you drop off.[29] The North Hollywood store is at 5855 Lankershim Blvd.[30]
- Habitat for Humanity LA ReStores take flatscreen TVs less than 8 years old.[31]
- The Salvation Army won't take TVs older than five years.[32]
- Out of the Closet turns down TVs over three years old.[33]
- Pickup Please isn't accepting TVs at this time.[34]
If you plan to claim a tax deduction, the IRS only allows it for household items, electronics included, that are in good used condition or better.[35] Ask a tax professional about your situation.
Wipe your data before anything leaves
LASAN asks you to remove personal and sensitive information from computers, phones and tablets before recycling them.[6] Sign out of accounts, back up what you need, and do a factory reset. For an old desktop, pull or wipe the hard drive. Pasadena residents with paper records to get rid of can use the document shredding offered at the Rose Bowl e-waste events.[14]
Prep checklist
Before the TV goes out
- Confirm which city collects your trash (LA, Burbank, Glendale or Pasadena).
- Back up, sign out and factory-reset phones, tablets and computers.
- Pull batteries from remotes, toys and tools; tape lithium terminals.
- Write an itemized list if you're booking LASAN pickup, TV sizes included.
- Wrap a cracked screen in a blanket so glass doesn't scatter.
- Check a donation site's age limit before hauling a working set across town.
- For a S.A.F.E. trip, load everything in the trunk and plan for a weekend morning.
When to call a hauler
The free routes work well for one TV you can carry to the curb or the car. They get harder when the set is a heavy old tube TV or a big rear-projection unit, when it's upstairs or mounted on a wall, when the electronics are part of a full garage or office cleanout, or when you can't wait for trash day or a weekend drop-off. Driving to a landfill instead isn't free: Sunshine Canyon in Sylmar lists $85 for each computer or monitor.[36]
Great service. Same day appointment, quick service, full price given beforehand. They took a large couch, TV, and cabinet. Was very simple!
Our family-run crew works out of North Hollywood on Victory Blvd. Same-day service most days when you reach us by early afternoon; next-morning slots are common. We take electronics: TVs, computers, monitors and printers. If they're part of a bigger load, send photos of everything and we'll price it together. Batteries and other hazardous items are a different story: We don't take paint, chemicals (like motor oil and solvents), tires, asbestos, medical waste, ammunition or propane tanks, empty or full. We'll point you to the right drop-off.