I am far from green. Sure, I own a Prius and I separate my recyclables from regular trash. I paid the $10 recycling fee for a new monitor. But for the most part, I was forced to, or else there was some personal benefit. I’m the type of person who uses paper plates to, um, conserve water.

But, fad or not, I hope my adding ‘save the earth’ to my blog isn’t because it’s trendy. I truly hope this is an educational experience for me and anyone who loves tech.

With Earth Day less than a week away, I’ll be blogging about the topic daily ’til Tuesday and starting with…

Guide to Recycling e-Waste

Lots of electronics fall into the e-waste category. Computers and monitors, however, were such heavy violators that California’s state legislature amended the state’s Electronic Waste and Recycling Act in 2004 so California consumers would be charged a $6 to $10 recycling fee when they bought a new computer or gadget with a screen.

The whole reason why the e-waste law exists is because electronics that get tossed in the trash end up in landfills. And most of these electronics, especially those with monitors, contain lead. Cracked computers and monitors mean rain water can wash lead into our drinking water. So, it’s against the law to throw a computer in the trash. You must take it to a place that can handle hazardous waste.

Where to take e-waste
In OC, there are four hazardous waste centers to dump your old electronics. These drive-through sites are great because you don’t even have to get out of your car or pay a fee.

• Anaheim: 1071 N. Blue Gum Street More details
• Huntington Beach: 17121 Nichols Street More details
• Irvine: 6411 Oak Canyon More details
• San Juan Capistrano: 32250 La Pata Avenue More details

More options

Ease-e-waste in Santa Ana sends you an “ease e-box” to put your e-waste. They’ll even stop by to pick it up. They charge $30 for two boxes for up to 75 pounds worth of e-waste (plus $10 for additional 15 pounds). Extra boxes are $5. This program is only open to Southern California residents. More details at ease-e-waste.com. Call (866) 548-8100 or email info@ease-e-waste.com to request a box.

Image Arts Foundation in Buena Park refurbishes older computers and puts them in schools that could use them. See computers2Schools.org for more information.

Goodwill stores now accept e-waste. They refurbishes computers that can be fixed and resells them at its Goodwill Computer Works in Santa Ana and Fullerton. Here is a list of electronics that Goodwill will or won’t accept. See site for locations.

The Computer Take Back Campaign lets you find e-waste recyclers by state

Specialty recyclers

Cell phones: Send your phone to The Collective Good or Sprint’s Project Connect , or you can drop off any brand of phone or accessory at your local AT&T store. More options on the EPA’s eCycling site.
Before you donate: Erase all your cell-phone info with free tools from ReCellular.

Batteries: The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation recycles rechargeable batteries; regular batteries should be taken to the local hazardous waste center.

Small electronics: The U.S. Postal Service Mail Back pilot program encourages consumers to use free postage-paid envelopes to recycle old electronics. Envelopes available at most Southern California post offices.

VHS tapes/CDs/DVDs: GreenDisk specializes in recycling “technotrash in relatively small amounts.” Bonus: It destroys all data on electronic media and recycles the plastic and metal. The Pack-IT service charges $6.95 recycling fee for the first 20 pounds (add 30-cents for additional pounds) and you must pay for the box and shipping (use the Media Mail rate). What happens to the trash? See GreenDisk’s white paper.

If you have any green-related tech thoughts, tips or advice, please send them my way or comment below.

For more tips on green technology, see the Gadgetress Guide HERE.