E-waste, or electronic waste, is any type of electronic that is no longer working or wanted. Any item that has wires, batteries, or uses electricity is e-waste. Some examples include computers, printers, televisions, and home appliances.
How to Dispose of E-Waste
E-waste does not belong in the landfill, recycling, or compost! E-waste contains hazardous substances like lead, mercury, and nickel. When e-waste is disposed of improperly and ends up in a landfill, it releases toxic chemicals that are harmful to both human health and the environment.
Per UC policy, all e-waste from UCSF must be discarded appropriately through an e-steward vendor. The e-Stewards certification guarantees that e-waste is recycled responsibly, adhering to rigorous environmental and ethical standards. It also prohibits sending it to external countries for disposal.
In collaboration with the Campus Life Services Recycling and Waste Reduction Program, UCSF Health offers free monthly e-waste disposal events for staff, that rotate through the three medical centers. Search “e-waste” on the UCSF Events Calendar for all upcoming e-waste recycling event details. If the drop-off events do not work for you, you can contact UCSF Supply Chain Management – Logistics at (415) 502-6245 to schedule a pickup. For battery disposal, check out the EH&S battery disposal guide or submit an MCSS ticket.
If you have working computer peripherals and want to give your equipment another life before being tossed, UCSF also has an Equipment Reuse Program.
What Items Do the UCSF E-Waste Recycling Events Accept?
The e-waste recycling events are for UCSF Staff and UCSF-owned or purchased electronics only. No personal electronics will be accepted. Keep in mind that UCSF Sustainability staff will not handle any materials until they are brought to the designated e- waste disposal event area. We cannot take oversized or overweight items. If you are unsure of your item, please contact us at healthsustainability@ucsf.edu to confirm if we can accept your item prior to the event.
E-Waste Best Practices
We encourage staff to save up e-waste until it can be disposed of properly at one of our e-waste disposal events. Each unit should identify a dedicated space for storing e-waste, such as a bin or cardboard box located in a soiled utility room or unit leadership office. Storage bins should be labeled “Universal Waste-- Electronic Devices” and have a place to label the accumulation start date (Download the e-waste label). E-waste should be recycled within 1 year of accumulation.
Units should also identify someone responsible for bringing the e-waste down to the e- waste disposal events. Please send the contact information of the designated e-waste unit member to healthsustainability@ucsf.edu and we will add them to our e-waste contact list to receive emails about upcoming e-waste events.
E-Waste Recycling Event Metrics
In April of 2024, UCSF Health relaunched the E-waste collection program. See metrics about the 2024 E-Waste Event relaunch on the dashboard below.
If you have any questions about e-waste, please reach out to HealthSustainability@UCSF.edu for more information.
