January 6, 2010 - Wondering what to do with that old computer monitor? Have a printer that will no longer print? Tossing your outdated stereo equipment? Take advantage of California State University, Bakersfield's electronic waste recycling event to properly dispose of items that may be hazardous to the environment.

CSUB's fifth annual electronic waste, or e-waste, recycling event will be held Tuesday, Jan. 26 through Saturday, Jan. 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents, businesses, city and county agencies may bring e-waste items to the drop-off location near the community recycling bins in parking lot I, just south of the Icardo Center on Roadrunner Drive. There is no limit and there is no charge.

"E-waste is a popular term for electronic products at the end of their 'useful life,' such as computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers and fax machines," said David Beadle, CSUB's director of safety and risk management. "Electronic items often contain lead, cadmium, barium and mercury which can be very hazardous. Proper recycling of these items keeps us all safer."

All electrical items will be accepted, including answering machines, camcorders, compact disk players, copiers, DVD players, electric typewriters, electronic games, fax machines, laptops, mainframe computers, cell phones, modems, pagers, PDAs, personal computers (CPU, monitors keyboards, mice, and peripherals), printers, radios, remote controls, scanners, stereos, tape players, telephones and telephone equipment, televisions, testing equipment, two-way radios, uninterruptable power supplies (UPS), VCRs and word processors.

"If you can plug it into a wall socket or put batteries in it, we can generally accept it for recycling," Beadle said. "Residents simply need to bring the items and provide their name and address for recording requirements. We will take care of the disposal."

Large bulky items, such as water heaters, dishwashers or air conditioning units, cannot be accepted. The City of Bakersfield offers a bulky item collection program. Residents may call (661) 326-3114 for more information about this service.

"By adding e-waste to our recycling program we're able to provide a place where our community can bring obsolete electronic devices, and at the same time generate much needed income for campus environmental sustainability projects," Beadle said.

CSUB receives a fee for recycled electronic waste that contains a monitor or screen. This income offsets the cost of recycling all the other e-waste, and any remaining money is used to purchase various items for use on campus. For example, the "plastic lumber" handrails on campus outdoor stairways, which are made from recycled plastic milk and water jugs, were purchased with funds generated by the campus recycling program. 

At last year's event, a total of 128,161 pounds - 10 truckloads - of e-waste was recycled.