The end of the school year will soon be here. If you are moving out at the end of May, now is the time to get rid of your junk. Students often put off getting rid of their junk until the last minute, and they always wind up regretting that. Getting rid of old electronics is a good place to start, but it is illegal to put electronic products in your garbage can. If a garbage collector finds an electronic product in your garbage can, you can get a $500 fine. This is not one of those crazy Berkeley laws that nobody enforces, although we have lots of those. This is a California state law, and it is enforced. People really do get fined for putting electronic waste in their garbage cans.

Fortunately, you can get rid of your electronic junk for free! At the Green Citizen store at 1971 Shattuck Avenue, near the corner of University Avenue, you can drop off most electronic products including TVs, computers, monitors, printers, DVD players, microwave ovens, etc. at no charge. They also accept for free disposal many small electrical appliances, like dorm refrigerators. Most of the dumps in this area charge $50 or more to drop off a small refrigerator. They have to drain out and recycle the Freon, and that costs money, but Green Citizen takes small refrigerators at no charge. This is a great service! You should use it. You’re paying for it. When you buy an electronic product in California, you pay an electronic disposal tax ranging from $6 to $10 for any item with a screen or electronic display, like a DVD player. That money goes to places like Green Citizen, which is how they finance their business.