The dead laptop in the closet, the drawer of orphaned charging cables, the cracked tablet no one wants to throw in the trash — all of it has somewhere to go this Sunday. A free electronic recycling event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 14, at the Grocery Outlet on North Lake Avenue in Pasadena, giving residents a convenient window to clear out the gadgets that tend to pile up unused.
Electronic waste is the fastest-growing category of household refuse, and it is not the kind of thing that belongs at the curb. Old monitors, televisions, printers, phones and batteries often contain lead, mercury and other materials that can leach into soil and water when they end up in a landfill. Dropping them at a dedicated collection point keeps those substances out of the waste stream and allows usable metals and components to be recovered and reused.
For households still sorting through what to keep and what to let go, a free, no-appointment collection close to home removes the usual friction. There is no sorting fee and no need to schedule a pickup — drivers can simply pull up during the six-hour window and hand off their items.
Residents planning to participate may want to back up and wipe any personal data from phones, computers and tablets before handing them over, a standard precaution for any device that once held photos, passwords or financial information.
The free electronic recycling event will run on Sunday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Grocery Outlet at 2270 Lake Avenue in Altadena.
