Pasadena Opens Brookside Park for Free E-Waste Drop-Off and Document Shredding Saturday

That old television in the garage, the dead laptop in the closet, the drawer full of spent batteries — Pasadena residents can unload all of it for free on Saturday at a drive-thru collection event near the Rose Bowl.

The city’s Department of Public Works will staff Parking Lot I at Brookside Park from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on May 23 for its recurring e-waste recycling and document shredding event. Residents can drop off obsolete electronics for safe disposal and have up to three legal-size boxes of sensitive documents shredded on site — no appointment necessary, just proof of Pasadena residency. The event could end early if collection trucks fill up, and the vehicle line closes at 2:00 p.m. to allow staff to process remaining drop-offs, according to the Department of Public Works.

The list of accepted electronics is broad: televisions, computers and accessories, printers, DVD and VCR players, projectors, cell phones, digital cameras, household batteries including rechargeables, fluorescent bulbs and tubes, microwaves, small kitchen appliances, electronic toys, and high-tech vacuums, according to the city’s e-waste collection page. Fluorescent bulbs and tubes should be removed from lamps or metal housing before drop-off.

Several categories of items are not accepted, including air conditioners, large printer-copiers, car batteries, solar panels, water heaters, and large appliances such as refrigerators, washers, and dryers. Household hazardous wastes — paint, solvents, medical waste, and mercury-containing devices like thermostats and smoke detectors — must be taken elsewhere; Los Angeles County’s S.A.F.E. Collection Centers handle those materials year-round, according to the city’s website.

Residents bringing documents for shredding should remove them from ring binders and binder clips beforehand. The city advises erasing sensitive data from electronics before recycling them.

The Department of Public Works, headed by Director Greg de Vinck, holds the e-waste and shredding events several times a year, with dates tied to parking availability at the Rose Bowl-area lot, according to the city’s recycling page. Information about the event is available in English and Spanish on the department’s website.

E-Waste Recycling and Document Shredding Drive-Thru Collection Event. Saturday, May 23 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.; the vehicle line closes at 2:00 p.m. to allow staff to process remaining customers, and the event may end earlier if collection trucks reach capacity. Free; proof of Pasadena residency required. Brookside Park, Parking Lot I, 360 North Arroyo Boulevard. The event is drive-thru format in the parking lot; no separate parking is needed. For more information, call (626) 744-7311 or visit CityOfPasadena.net/EWaste.