Recycling your Cables and Wires with Dream E-Waste
Got a drawer of tangled chargers, a box of old Ethernet cables or a pile of extension cords? If so, Dream E-Waste recycles all electronic cables, cords, chargers and plugs for free across San Diego County.
Drop off at any of our six locations, with no sorting or untangling needed. If you’re clearing out bulk cables, you can also schedule a free pickup.
Drop off your cables, cords and plugs today for FREE.
If you have questions, you can call us at (619) 889-1305 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
Free Cable Recycling Pickup & Drop-Off
Dream E-Waste makes cable recycling simple and cost-free across San Diego County. Whether you’re clearing out office cables or recycling a few plugs, choose the option that best fits your business needs.
Free E-Waste Pickup
Clearing out an office, rewiring a building, or decommissioning a server room? If so, we'll collect bulk cable by the box, bin or pallet anywhere in San Diego County.
Free E-Waste Drop-off
Have a bag of old cords and chargers? Bring them to any of our six San Diego County locations during business hours.
Cables and Plugs We Recycle
We accept all types of electronic cables, cords and plugs for free recycling in San Diego, working or damaged, in any quantity. Bring a single bag of tangled cords from home, or a pallet of cabling from an office or data center cleanout.
Networking & Data Cables
We recycle Ethernet cables (Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat7), patch cords, fiber-optic cables, SATA, SAS and IDE cables, as well as bulk structured cabling pulled from walls, ceilings and server racks.
Video & Display Cables
We accept HDMI, DisplayPort, Mini DisplayPort, DVI, VGA and coaxial cables, plus monitor, TV and projector cables of every kind. Coax and fiber optic cable carry a small fee of $1 per pound.
Power Cords & Adapters
We recycle power cords, extension cords, power strips, surge protectors, laptop and phone chargers, AC adapters and power bricks, as well as server and PDU power cables.
Computer & Device Cables
We accept all kinds of computer cables, including USB-A, USB-C, Micro-USB, Lightning, Thunderbolt and FireWire cables, printer cables, serial and parallel cables, and keyboard and mouse cords.
Audio & AV Cables
We also recycle 3.5 mm aux cables, RCA, optical (Toslink), speaker cables, XLR and microphone cables, and stage and studio cabling.
Telephone & Security Cables
We accept telephone and RJ11 cords, cable TV and satellite leads, security camera (CCTV) and alarm cables, as well as intercom cables.
Not Sure If We Accept Your Equipment?
If it’s a cable, cord, charger or plug, we almost certainly take it. So there’s no need to sort, untangle or cut off plugs. If you’re unsure, contact our team to confirm acceptance or call (619) 889-1305.
Why Old Cables Shouldn't Go in the Trash
Old cables look harmless, but they should not go in your trash or recycling bins.
- They are valuable. Most cables contain copper, and some also contain aluminum or gold-plated connectors. Recycling returns these metals to manufacturing instead of mining new ones.
- They’re hard on the environment. That’s because PVC insulation and older cable jackets can contain lead and other additives that don’t belong in a landfill.
- They jam recycling machines. Cords and cables tangle around sorting equipment at curbside recycling facilities, so they need a dedicated e-waste recycler.
- Chargers and adapters are e-waste. Power bricks and AC adapters contain circuit boards, so California treats them as electronic waste.
Bulk Cable Recycling for Businesses
Office moves, network upgrades and building renovations leave behind hundreds of feet of cable. But Dream e-waste makes it easy to clear out.
- Free pickup of boxes, bins, Gaylords and pallets of mixed cable
- Structured cabling pulled from ceilings, walls and IT closets after a rewire
- Data center and server room cable, including patch cords, power cables and fiber
- Mixed loads accepted, so cables can come with the computers, monitors and network gear they were attached to
- Certificate of Recycling for your sustainability and compliance records
How to Prepare Cables for Recycling
You don’t need to do much. Still, these tips make drop-off quicker:
- Don’t bother untangling. Instead, bring cables as they are, in a bag or box.
- Leave the plugs on. We remove them during processing.
- Bundle bulk cable. For large loads, bag, box or palletize it so it’s easy to load.
- Bring other devices too. You can also recycle chargers, adapters and the electronics they belong to in the same trip.
- Tape battery packs. If any cables have built-in or attached batteries, tape the terminals.
Retiring the old equipment too? See networking equipment recycling, data center decommissioning and business electronics recycling.
How Cable and Wire Recycling Works
From your drop-off or pickup to recovered copper, here's what happens to your cables at Dream E-Waste.
How It Works:
Why Choose Dream E-Waste for Cable, Wire and Plug Recycling?
- Free, with no sorting. Drop off any amount of cable at no cost. You also don’t need to untangle anything or cut off plugs.
- Copper recovery. We recover copper and aluminum and return them to manufacturing, instead of letting them end up in a landfill.
- One stop for everything. Recycle the cables together with the computers, TVs, network gear and batteries they came with.
- Free business pickup. We also collect bulk cable from offices, server rooms and job sites across San Diego County.
- Compliant and documented. Our recycling follows California e-waste rules, and businesses also get a Certificate of Recycling.
Join Dream E Waste in our efforts to make San Diego a cleaner and more sustainable city. By recycling your cables and wires with us, you are not only disposing of them responsibly but also contributing to a circular economy.
We are Certified & Local Cable Recyclers
We are an R2v3-certified recycler and a CalRecycle-approved collector and recycler (CEWID #127772). Every cable load goes through documented downstream vendors, so your equipment is never dumped in a landfill or shipped overseas as scrap. See our certifications. You can call us at (619) 889-1305 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
Areas We Serve
Looking for cable recycling near you? Then drop off cables, cords and chargers for free at any of our six San Diego County locations, or request a free business pickup anywhere in the county.
Providing Dream E-Waste Services To:
What San Diego Community Says About Us
Rated Excellent by 2000+ locals for fast, friendly, and completely free electronic recycling.
Carmen CurrySan Diego Fantastic, free e-waste recycling in central SD. Workers are always super friendly. Getting in & out of there is hard in a car though.
Edit: just dropped off something and was informed California now requires a small fee ($1-$10) to recycle items. $1 for anything over 3lbs (averaging about $3 for most items) $10 for the largest item: fridges. TVs are still free. Still a very small fee for recycling the items that shouldn’t/can’t go in the landfill. Love having Dream E-Waste local to me. Staff is always pleasant and helpful. Thanks again Dream!
J DSan Diego Friendly staff. Quick and easy.
J DMiramar Very friendly. Quick and easy. Thank you 👍
Sidney ShiromaMiramar Great customer service
Richard LancasterMiramar Electronic recycling was convenient and easy. The staff was very helpful. My garage which was full of dead batteries and light bulbs thanks Dream Electronic Recycling!
Elizabeth SieglerSan Diego Excellent service! So helpful and convenient, easy!!
Habeas CorpusSan Diego Awesome place
Brandon SawyerMiramar Fantastic! Super easy. Great service.
Justin ManorMiramar Just heard about this place and dropped off my old microwave so easy! Im bring all my ewaste here, you should too
Tim BoggsSan Diego Only good things to say about them. They were super friendly and helpful. Kudos to the staff. Only thing I had to pay for was for a big can of old batteries. It was $2 so I’m not mad at all. I’ll be coming back for sure.
Mascha SSan Diego Very friendly and easy
Rodney WilsonSan Diego So easy and reps are incredibly friendly
Iri VazSan Diego Helpful and super nice.
Kevin WeiserSan Diego Easy to drop off, friendly staff. Very convenient! Corey helped me out and was awesome.
4mrbigcbroChula Vista Drive in to drop off any electronics recycling equipment, workers there are very courteous and helpful people.
David WilkinsChula Vista Very friendly service
Michael FitzsimmonsChula Vista They took everything. Guys very helpful.
Michael FahourisChula Vista Great place to drop off all your gear today. They took my metal my TV my air conditioner and household batteries one stop does it all great place
Dave MartocchioChula Vista Very nice people. They take almost everything! Cory is the best.
Katie ChesterChula Vista Great customer service and so easy to drop items! Thank you!!
Sean BrewChula Vista Quick and east, fast and friendly
Jill BormannChula Vista This place is amazing! Extremely friendly employees, particularly Corey! And they take most anything, including our window, air conditioner, and an old microwave oven. You can drive real close by and people come out and help you unload. And it’s all free. Unbelievably easy. I highly recommend them.
Jordan AChula Vista Awesome service here! Shoutout to Corey
Ken & TammyNorth County Easy drop off location
rachel chrismanNorth County Super friendly place. Heads up they do not take lighters. Your batteries should be separated and they do not receive spray cans, Nice and friendly service
Pay WayNorth County Dropped off a 20 inch CRT. The attendant was friendly and took the crt from the back of my car. Very helpful!! Easy stop and go drop off. Highly recommend.
Also he did not charge me. Hope that’s ok.
Libby PattersonNorth County made an errand i was avoiding for weeks super quick and easy 🙂
Yvonne DiazNorth County Easy to find
Patricia ConnerNorth County We had a lot of stuff we didn’t/couldn’t use. We drove into a business lot with warehouse style buildings. This particular business was in the back corner. A guy came out and took everything we had in the trunk. He was polite and asked if we wanted to get rid of a certain item. We said yes. We have no use for it. Instead of just assuming everything in the trunk was being recycled. The only thing he couldn’t take were some lights. Which was fine. He was able to take everything else.
Randy BlackburnNorth County They made it very quick and easy. I had a lot of old family videos that needed recycled. I pulled up and the gentleman took what I had and I was out the door within three minutes.
Sam HoffmanNorth County Great service and easy to use. Brought in my broke. Flat screen TV to their location and they took it for free. No charge to me. I really appreciate this great service.
Andrew SchwartzNorth County I dropped off a microwave today. Fast, and easy - with great service from the friendly staff. For recycling they're the way to go.
Eva SellenMiramar This place takes almost all kinds of recycling (including lightbulbs and small appliances). You just drive in and hand over your items! Staff is super helpful and attentive. Our go-to e recycling spot !
A SMiramar This place is the best! Great service, always smiling and friendly faces, they help me get stuff out of my car. They make the whole process smooth and easy. Great company!
Bo WangMiramar Easy drop off
Jeffrey RubensMiramar It was super easy to drop my electronics off at Dream Electronic Recycling. No appointment necessary. I just drove up and Corey came and met me to take my old electronics. He was incredibly nice and helpful and I was out of there in 3 minutes.
Larissa PalmeriKearny Mesa This was the easiest way to get rid of my TV and old microwave. Definitely coming back again!
Chris O'NeillKearny Mesa Easy drop off. Thanks!
Thong LeKearny Mesa Corey was awesome!
Nytasja SandersKearny Mesa Pretty easy drop off. You check in at the Associated Storage Building. I was able to recycle my old portable air conditioner. The staff lady was nice.
Nhi Katrina DinhKearny Mesa They were so nice when taking my microwave and air fryer 15 minutes before they close. The worker, Cory, helped me carry it out of my trunk and was to answer my questions about the recycling center. Overall, a good and speedy experience.
Michael HelsonKearny Mesa Easy
Jessica FielderKearny Mesa Friendly fast service
Ashlee O'GradyKearny Mesa Drop off was very easy and Corey was a huge help!
Julia GloriosoKearny Mesa Very convenient place to drop off your e waste. Corey was very helpful!
Kaaran McCrackenOceanside Quick and easy to recycle our household electronics. Friendly service and everything ran just like a dream!
Michael BOceanside Check in at the storage unit office - the actual drop off is a storage unit inside the gates. Super easy drop off
patrick martinsonOceanside There needs to be more people and places like that for us to get rid of the overwhelming amount of electronics that goes through a single community
Monica George-HallingOceanside Great service!
Sasha NikolichOceanside Easy and friendly drop off 🙂
Robert SPOceanside Great experience! Will use this again.
Devon HollandOceanside Quick and very helpful crew.
Kelly HamiltonOceanside Cory made everything so easy
Christine GOceanside EXCELLENT customer service, quick and attentive!! Thank you again Corey!! Greeted with a smile 🙂 😃
