Electronic Waste Manage-ment (EWM), a state-approved collector of e-waste, this month will hold three free E-Waste disposal and recycling events in East County.

The events include: Oct. 13 and 14 at Discovery Bay Elementary School, which will receive a donation for participating; Oct. 14 in Bay Point, co-sponsored with Bay Point Municipal Advisory Council; and Oct. 28 at Prewett Water Park in Antioch, co-sponsored by the City of Antioch.

Improper disposal of electronic equipment can inject toxins such as lead, mercury, and arsenic into the environment. In addition, e-waste contains valuable materials that can be recovered by recyclers, including gold, platinum, silver and copper, creating an economic advantage to recycling e-waste material.

EWM is a participant in a state-funded e-waste recycling program, enabling it to collect millions of pounds of e-waste at no charge. Fees at approved disposal facilities run from $5 to $60 per item.

There is no limit to the amount of e-waste California residents, businesses, agencies or schools can dispose of at the events. Items can include computers, monitors, computer components, power supplies, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, telephone equipment, fax machines, toner cartridges, copy machines, cellular phones, audio/visual and stereo equipment, and video game systems. Household appliances, microwaves, furniture, smoke detectors and car or household batteries cannot be accepted.

For more information or to obtain the required form, call (866) 335-3373 or visit www.noewaste.com.