UCLA SAFE Collection Center

Love that this place is here and available. Watch the hours. I do a lot of painting with non-​voc paints of course, but I really appreciate the help with disposal of my paint cans and occasional spray paint cans.

Thank heaven for this place. Whenever I get new electronic stuff, this is the place to take the old stuff off my hands. Plus I’m a UCLA grad and supporter so that’s twice as good :)

Easy, quick, and as hassle free. A great service.

Love the fact that UCLA is providing this service. But yesterday I had a terrible experience due to poor training of the workers. They spilled a large amount of paint all over the inside of my trunk, into the latch mechanism, and over the rear bumper.
Their one main thing to do, is remove liquids and chemicals from customers’ vehicles. Right? So here should be some key procedures: Be careful. Take turns. Keep the containers upright. Don’t knock them around. Take only what you can handle.
When I pulled up, it was a slow period, no cars ahead of me or behind me. The half-​dozen workers were relaxing and seemed bored, but jumped into action when my trunk opened. They seemed to be in some kind of competition to participate in the unloading. They literally all crowded and jostled around the trunk, reaching in and grabbing as many paint cans as they could. One fellow got about 6 cans and started pulling them out by the wire handles, dragging them nearly sideways against other paint cans. I could see all this though my rear-​view mirror. Before I could jump out and ask them to take it easy, the damage was done. A sealed lid popped off from either a dragged can or a tipped-​over can, and the paint was everywhere.
A couple of crew members did their best to clean up the mess. They were largely unprepared for this, surprising for a haz-​mat site, without a range of cleaning supplies or definite plan of attack. Upon realizing this, I began to help. After perhaps 30 minutes they/​we removed most of the paint that was accessible, but not the paint inside the chassis or mechanisms or carpeted trunk. Now I have a permanent reminder of my own mistake of «going with the flow» and not reacting to a quickly developing fiasco.
I won’t suggest avoiding this service, since it’s quite valuable to the community. I would say that customers should get out of the car, open your own trunk, and closely monitor what’s happening. If it doesn’t seem right, speak up right away.
Overall very sad and lame. Not really an «accident» since the workers were clearly unskilled laborers who had not been trained to treat liquids with care, keep containers largely upright, take only the quantity that can be safely and securely handled, work in an orderly manner, and so on.

Great service. Drive up, deposit hazardous materials, and drive off. Very organized and fast.

So easy and the service staff so helpful. Just drive and and someone takes the stuff — no parking and walking. Great!

I packed up and drove there but couldn’t find the place– there were no indications of a drop off, and no one to ask since it was a Saturday, so I turned around and drove somewhere else making it a waste of time. They need better signage.

Easy as pie! Pull up and they unload, how much better can it get. So convenient and efficient!!!

Wow. There is no sign that stipulates that it’s a S.A.F.E Collection Center drop-​off, just some dudes sat there and killing time. Will try to find another one, too many detours to go around to find it.

Over a number of years, I had collected a number of expired prescription and OTC medicine from either myself or family members. Instead of just throwing it away, there is a much more environmentally friendly way to trash those unused and or toxic medication. With the a great program provided by the City of Los Angeles, you can easily drop off, not just, medication, but toxic waste at UCLA’s S.A.F.E. Collection Center.
S.A.F.E stands for Solvents, Automotive, Flammables, and Electronics. Instead of throwing it in the trash can or sidewalk, drop it off at your local S.A.F.E Collection Center. UCLA’s S.A.F.E. Collection Center is located on Charles E Young Dr. W. If you are coming from Gayley Ave from the south, make a right at Charles E Young Dr South, and prepare to make a left right away. You will see a Maintenance Yard with its own gas station. You will go past it and see a couple of posts next to the garage. The road will be one lane road for each direction. You will see a plastic tarp when you pull up.
This location is open Thursday through Saturday from 8am to 2pm. This is the only S.A.F.E Collection Center that is open on Thursday and Friday. However, this is the only site that is closed on Sundays. **Please Note**: Electronic Waste is accepted on Saturdays Only.
Since I had medication, I didn’t want to put it on the bed of my truck and have it fly off of my vehicle. I told them it was in my cab and they took handle of the prescription and OTC medication. I did have some Insulin syringes that were still in its cases. However, the lead staff member told me to place the syringes in the pink Biohazard containers. They gave me a bunch of Biohazard containers and I can drop it off on another day. I appreciate that they did all the work and I barely had to do much. They will ask you for your zip code before you leave.
Why go through medication down the toilet when you can cause havoc in the plumbing and potentially get others sick if the filtering plant can’t clean the water. I live in Los Angeles and want a cleaner home. I may not be eradicating waste completely, but its a start. I don’t want my expired drugs in the wrong hands. I’d rather have a clean conscience that its properly being taken care of by the City of Los Angeles S.A.F.E Collection Center.
You think I write too much? Well, you can call me a Unilocal-​O-​Holic!

Just a heads up that they only accept e-​waste on Saturdays.

Once I found the locations it was super easy, friendly, quick. DO NOT use the GPS address!!! You will end up on the opposite end of campus. The place is located near the corner of Gayley and Charles E Young Dr SOUTH. There is a university gas station that is used to fuel their vehicles it is on the same street as that, it’s the next building over.
Hope this helps!

Very clean and very quick. Usually you don’t even have to get out of your car, they take the materials from your trunk and you drive away.
Hours:
Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays. 8AM-​2PM (valid when visited March, 2014).

This place is great because it’s so simple and quick. Drive up, tell them what you have and take off. The only thing is e-​waste is only taken on weekends. I have never had to deal with a line of more than 2 cars ahead of me.

Pull up, open trunk, reveal what you want to get rid of, say thank you, get in car, pull away and you’re done!!! Easy as pie!

This is the place to come take your e and hazardous waste. I’ve taken a large amount of paint here and it has been no problem. A guy in a «haz-​mat» looking suit comes to your car and unloads it for you. All you have to do is pop the trunk.
I’ve also taken e waste here. Again, not a problem, never a fee. They are only open on Saturdays 8am-​2pm. Getting rid of that stuff is a great way to start off your weekend. There is a lane you drive up in like a drive thru at a fast food restaurant. I have never waited more than 5 minutes!
Boom! Do us all (and the future generations) a favor and take your stuff here, don’t just dump it. It’s too easy here!

This is the only place that recycles your Electronic Waste and Household Chemical Hazardous Waste on the westside for free. This includes batteries. They take e-​waste only on Saturdays.
My advice is to get there early because sometimes there is line of cars during the late morning hours.
The people working there are personable and friendly. And while your in Westwood stop by Stan’s Donuts and grab a dozen for that early morning sugar rush.

This is another of the LA County-​run electronics recycling and household hazardous material drop-​off centers.
Here’s the thing, its drive-​through. Load your stuff into your trunk or the bed of your pick-​up truck and drive to the spot. You pull-​up and they unload everything for you. You leave having done a good turn for the environment.
Its that easy.
I used the Antelope Valley location when a buddy moved. We literally had a truck full of paint, thinners, old monitors, televisions, and assorted funkystuff from his garage. We showed up, pulled through, waited 10 minutes for the staff to unload the truck, and left. We didn’t even have to put our coffee down.
One quick note, the directions on the flyer are spot on, the last left turn is IMMEDIATE and easy to miss if you’re distracted. Start looking for the helpful signs as soon as you turn onto Charles E Young Drive SOUTH.
This link to the flyer has more details on location and what they accept:
Hours of Operation:
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
8:00 a.m. — 2:00 p.m.
* They accept electronic waste on Saturday only.
** All Waste Collection Services are suspended during rainy weather