Networking Equipment Recycling in San Diego

Free Network Equipment Recycling & Pickup

Dream E-Waste recycles networking equipment for free across San Diego County. Drop off routers, switches and firewalls, as well as other network gear, at any of our six locations. However, server racks and large loads go to our Point Loma or Chula Vista recycling centers. If you have large quantities, email us photos first at [email protected].

We destroy every data-bearing device according to NIST 800-88 and provide a certificate listing each device’s serial number for your audit records.

Drop off your Networking Equipment and Devices for FREE at any of our recycling centers or schedule a free pickup today if you are a business or have bulk items.

General Contact form

Networking Equipment We Recycle

We accept a wide range of networking and telecommunications equipment for free recycling in San Diego. Whether your equipment is working, outdated or damaged, we can help you recycle it responsibly, regardless of quantity.

Switching & Routing

We recycle network switches (managed, unmanaged, PoE, stackable, and core), routers (edge and core), as well as load balancers, WAN optimizers, network bridges, and gateways.

Security Appliances

We accept security appliances from businesses of all sizes, including firewalls, unified threat management (UTM) appliances, VPN concentrators, proxy servers and intrusion prevention systems.

Wireless Equipment

Recycle wireless access points, wireless controllers, mesh systems, range extenders, repeaters and outdoor wireless bridges. We also accept equipment from offices, campuses and commercial networks.

Broadband & Telecom

We accept cable and DSL modems, broadband gateways and fiber ONTs, as well as VoIP phones, PBX systems, telecom cards and telephone exchange shelves for responsible recycling.

Components & Infrastructure

We recycle components and infrastructure such as network interface cards, SFP and SFP+ transceivers, line cards, power supplies, fan trays, patch panels, KVM switches, server racks, UPS units, Ethernet cables and fiber-optic cabling.

Brands We Recycle

We accept networking equipment from leading manufacturers, including Cisco, Cisco Meraki, Juniper, Aruba (HPE), HP/HPE, Dell, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, SonicWall, Ubiquiti, Netgear, TP-Link, Extreme Networks, Arista, Brocade, Ruckus, WatchGuard, Linksys and Motorola/ARRIS.

Not Sure If We Accept Your Equipment?

If your networking equipment has a cable, plug or battery, there’s a good chance we can recycle it. To be sure, contact our team to confirm acceptance or call (619) 889-1305.

Your Old Network Gear Still Holds Your Network

A retired firewall or router is not just scrap metal. In fact, its configuration can include admin passwords, VPN keys and certificates, firewall rules, IP addressing, SNMP strings and logs. So anyone who powers it up can learn how your network is built and how to get into it.

For that reason, network equipment should never go to a scrap yard or an online resale lot without a verified wipe. Instead, we treat every router, switch, firewall and controller as a data-bearing device from the moment we take custody.

  • Configs and credentials: saved configs and local accounts, as well as RADIUS/TACACS secrets
  • Security material: VPN pre-shared keys and SSL/TLS certificates, as well as licenses
  • Network maps: VLANs, routing tables and IP schemes, as well as firewall policies
  • Stored data: logs and flash storage, including SD cards and internal drives in appliances and NAS units
Network switches recycling routers recycling San Diego

Secure Network Equipment Disposal

secure electronic recycling

NIST 800-88 Sanitization

Configurations are cleared, devices are reset, or storage is physically destroyed, according to NIST SP 800-88, the federal standard for media sanitization.

R2v3-Certified Recycling

Removable Storage Destroyed

Flash cards, SD cards, SSDs and hard drives inside appliances, controllers and NAS units are removed and then shredded.

Chain of Custody

Serialized Chain of Custody

Each device is tracked by serial number from pickup until final disposition, providing a documented trail for audits.

Free certificate of destruction San Diego e-waste

Certificate of Destruction on Request

If you request one, you receive a certificate listing serial numbers, date and method for every data-bearing device.

How to Prepare Network Equipment for Recycling

Free router and modem recycling in San Diego

You don’t have to wipe anything yourself, because we handle it. Still, these steps make pickup faster and avoid surprises:

  1. Make a quick inventory. Device type, brand and rough count are enough, and serial numbers help but aren’t required.
  2. Release cloud-managed devices. Remove Cisco Meraki, Ubiquiti UniFi, Aruba Central or similar devices from your dashboard so they can be reset and reused.
  3. Check leases. Confirm leased or carrier-owned equipment (modems, gateways) doesn’t need to go back to the provider before pickup.
  4. Clear legal holds. Make sure no device is still under a records or litigation hold.
  5. Tell us about access. Loading dock hours, freight elevator, gate codes and whether racks or cabling should come out.

Free Network Equipment Pickup & Decommissioning

If you’re refreshing a network, closing an office or clearing a server room, we pick up for free anywhere in San Diego County, from one closet to a full data center.

Get Value Back From Newer Equipment

Not all retired network gear is scrap. Enterprise switches, firewalls and access points that are still supported often have resale value. We assess your equipment and, if it qualifies, offer a buyback or credit through our IT equipment liquidation program.

Equipment with no resale value is still recycled for free. Either way, every device is wiped before it leaves our custody.

From a single network closet to a full data center, we provide free pickup and responsible equipment recycling throughout San Diego County.

How Networking Equipment Recycling Works

Recycling your business networking equipment with Dream E-Waste is simple, secure and completely free, because we handle every step from pickup to certified data destruction and responsible recycling.

How It Works:

Drop off your networking equipment at any of our locations, or if you’d rather we collect it, complete our business pickup form. Tell us the equipment types, quantities and any access details so we can arrange the right collection.

We then schedule a pickup around your business operations or network cutover. Our team collects the equipment on-site and also transports it securely to our R2v3-certified recycling facility.

We sanitize network configurations and data-bearing devices following NIST 800-88 guidelines. Removable storage is also securely shredded, and each device is tracked by serial number for accountability.

We refurbish networking equipment whenever it can be reused. We dismantle end-of-life devices and separate valuable materials, including metals, circuit boards, and plastics, for responsible recycling.

When processing is complete, you receive a Certificate of Recycling and, where applicable, a Certificate of Destruction for your business records and compliance documentation.

telecommunication-routers-network-switches-firewalls-recycling

We are Certified, Local and Accountable

We are an R2v3-certified recycler and a CalRecycle-approved collector and recycler (CEWID #127772). Every 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.

Contact Us

Where to Drop Off Networking Equipment

Drop off routers, switches, firewalls, access points, modems and other networking hardware for free at any of our six San Diego County locations. At Miramar, Kearny Mesa and Oceanside, check in at the storage office. Server racks and large loads go to our Point Loma or Chula Vista recycling centers instead. Businesses can also arrange free pickup for qualifying loads across the county.

Call Us : (619) 889-1305

Areas We Serve:

What San Diego Community Says About Us

Rated Excellent by 2000+ locals for fast, friendly, and completely free electronic recycling.

Across 6 locations

Excellent

Based on 1,163 reviews

Google

  • 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

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, Dream E-Waste recycles routers, switches, firewalls, access points, modems and other network gear for free. You can drop off at any of our six San Diego County locations, or request a free pickup if you have business quantities.

Yes, they can store admin passwords, VPN keys, certificates, firewall rules, IP schemes and logs. We sanitize or destroy all stored data according to NIST 800-88 before reusing or recycling any device.

Yes, businesses receive a Certificate of Destruction listing serial numbers, date and method, as well as a Certificate of Recycling for compliance records.

Before you recycle them, remove them from your Meraki, UniFi or Aruba Central dashboard. That releases the device so it can be reset and reused. If you can’t, tell us and we will still wipe and recycle it.

Newer, supported enterprise gear may qualify for a buyback or credit through our IT equipment liquidation program. Otherwise, equipment without resale value is recycled for free.

Drop off at our main location, 4009 Hicock St, Suite D, San Diego, CA 92110, or our locations in Chula Vista, San Marcos, Miramar, Kearny Mesa and Oceanside. Businesses can also schedule free pickup anywhere in San Diego County.

Not always, since some devices keep logs, licenses or backup configs after a reset, and resets can also fail without warning. So we verify sanitization and destroy removable storage, and you get a certificate as proof.

Yes, we recycle all brands, including Cisco, Cisco Meraki, Juniper, Aruba, HPE, Dell, Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, SonicWall, Ubiquiti and Netgear, working or broken.

Yes, for business pickups we can de-install switches and rack equipment and remove it from your site. Tell us about racks, cabling and access when you request pickup

Check your lease or ISP agreement first, since your provider may require you to return the modem or gateway. If you own the equipment, we recycle it for free.