Electronics Collection and Recycling Services for San Mateo County Facilities

The County is soliciting proposals from qualified contractors to provide collection, reuse/donation, and recycling services for electronic equipment and components from San Mateo County facilities. The County prioritizes reuse and donation over recycling or disposal. Annually, the County generates between 60 to 70 tons of surplus electronic equipment.

The selected Contractor shall ensure that all services comply with applicable local, state, federal, and international laws and treaties, as well as industry best practices for environmental protection, worker safety, and data security.

Covered equipment includes, but is not limited to: televisions and monitors, printers/copiers/fax machines, computers and laptops, servers and networking systems, peripherals (keyboards, mice, cords, cables), cell phones, small appliances (microwaves, vacuum cleaners, coffee machines, etc.), large appliances (refrigerators, washers/dryers, etc.), and related electronics.

The County operates approximately 65 facilities and generates surplus electronic equipment as part of its operations. Not all facilities will require regular pickup, but the County requires a Contractor that can provide both scheduled and on-call collection services.

In 2017, the County of San Mateo passed and adopted the “Responsible Recycling of Electronic Waste” Ordinance. The ordinance requires:

1. The recyclers of electronics must be certified by a third-party organization approved by the County. Two (2) third-party certifications the County of San Mateo’s Sustainability Department currently accepts under this ordinance are: the e-Stewards Initiative, a program created by the Basel Action Network, which is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, charitable organization; and R2 Solutions, a non-profit organization established to house the “Responsible Recycling Practices for Use in Accredited Certification Programs” (R2 Practices), which were developed through a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-convened multi stakeholder process
2. Collectors, whether an individual, partnership, or private business, must deliver electronics to a certified recycler