Ballast Recycling in Ontario, CA
Lighting ballast recycling for Ontario and the Inland Empire, with no-appointment weekday drop-off on Francis Street, commercial pickup for relamps and retrofits, and prepaid kits for eligible non-PCB ballasts.
Recycle Technologies takes used lighting ballasts at our Ontario center, 805 East Francis Street, just off the 60 Freeway. We accept PCB and non-PCB ballasts, magnetic, electronic, and HID ballasts, leaking units, and non-PCB capacitors. Contractors and facility teams can bring the lamps from the same job too, since the center handles full relamping projects. Drop off any weekday from 6:00 AM without an appointment, or contact us about pickup or a mail-in kit for eligible non-PCB ballasts.
Our Ontario Ballast Recycling Center
Ontario Recycling Center (San Bernardino County)
Phone
Hours
Monday to Friday, 6:00 AM to 2:30 PM
Arrival
Leave the 60 at Francis Street and turn into the driveway between Campus and Bon View avenues. The crew on site will show you where ballasts and lamps go.
Available Service Options
Residential and business drop-off
No appointment needed
Commercial pickup and relamping projects
Contact the team to confirm availability for your job site
Mail-in
Prepaid kits for eligible non-PCB ballasts
Ballasts We Take in Ontario
Office retrofits, warehouse relamps, and school lighting upgrades all leave behind old ballasts. The Ontario center accepts:
PCB ballasts from older fluorescent fixtures
Non-PCB ballasts
Magnetic ballasts
Electronic ballasts
HID ballasts from metal halide and high-pressure sodium lighting
Leaking or tar-stained ballasts, with a heads-up
Non-PCB capacitors
How to Spot a PCB Ballast
See our main ballast recycling page for more on each ballast type.
Read the label before you pack. The EPA says ballasts made through 1979 may contain PCBs, and newer non-PCB units were marked "No PCBs." A ballast with no label, or one you can't read, should go with your PCB pile, and the case should stay closed (EPA). Newer "No PCBs" ballasts can still contain DEHP, and those capacitors are removed during recycling too.
How Ballast Recycling Works
- 1
Separate by label
Put PCB and unlabeled ballasts in one container and confirmed non-PCB units in another.
- 2
Contain the leakers
Seal any leaking or tar-stained ballast in heavy plastic before it travels.
- 3
Choose how to send them
Drive in on a weekday, book commercial pickup for a relamp, or mail eligible non-PCB ballasts in a kit.
- 4
Teardown
Each ballast is taken apart, PCB and DEHP capacitors head to an EPA-approved incineration facility, and the copper and steel are reclaimed.
- 5
Paperwork
Ask about a Certificate of Recycling once the job is done.
Ballast Recycling Options in Ontario
Drop-Off
Looking for ballast recycling near you in Ontario, Upland, Montclair or Chino? Bring your ballasts to Francis Street any weekday from 6:00 AM, with no appointment needed. Keep PCB and non-PCB units in separate boxes, and give the team a call before arriving with a large load or anything that's leaking.
If the ballasts came out of a relamp, bring the lamps too. Ontario takes fluorescent, CFL, HID, UV, neon, halogen, incandescent and LED lamps, and any mercury material is sent to our Greenwood, IN retort facility. You can also ask about electronics and batteries from the same job.
View all Recycle Technologies drop-off locations.
Commercial Pickup and Relamping Projects
Electrical contractors, facility managers, school districts, property managers, hospitals and retailers can contact us about ballast pickup or full relamping project handling. We work with job sites from Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana and Pomona to Riverside, Corona, Anaheim, Los Angeles and Temecula, depending on the project.
When requesting a quote, include:
Job site address: street, city and ZIP code
Ballast count: an estimated number, weight, or container total
Ballast type: PCB, non-PCB, HID, or unlabeled, if known
Condition: any leaking or damaged units
Lamps: the types and rough quantity coming out of the same project
Schedule and access: your preferred pickup window and loading details
Our team will confirm availability and talk through scheduling and pricing.
Mail-In Recycling
For a few non-PCB ballasts, a prepaid non-PCB ballast kit may save you the drive. Read our mail-in recycling program page and follow the packing instructions. PCB, unlabeled, and leaking ballasts can't be mailed, so bring those to Francis Street or arrange a pickup.
Ballast Disposal Guidance in California
Older fluorescent ballasts may hold PCBs, and federal rules call for PCB material to be incinerated rather than landfilled. In California, the Department of Education and DTSC recommend removing pre-1979 PCB ballasts from schools as soon as practicable (EPA Region 9). Businesses should review the EPA's guidance on disposing of fluorescent light ballasts before storing or moving them.
The household hazardous waste sites in Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga don't list ballasts and don't take business waste. Our Ontario center accepts both PCB and non-PCB ballasts from homeowners and businesses on any weekday.
Why Recycle Technologies for Ballast Recycling in Ontario
Inland Empire drop-off
A Francis Street center off the 60, open weekdays from 6:00 AM with no appointment
PCB and non-PCB
Both accepted, along with HID, leaking units, and non-PCB capacitors
Relamping support
Ballasts and every common lamp type from the same project
Flexible service
Drop-off, commercial pickup, and non-PCB mail-in kits
Responsible processing
PCB and DEHP capacitors incinerated at an EPA-approved facility, with copper and steel recovered
Documentation
Ask about a Certificate of Recycling for your records
Frequently Asked Questions
- Cost depends on the ballast types and quantity. Call (909) 923-7252 or request a quote before you come in.
- No. Drivers power LED fixtures, while ballasts run fluorescent and HID lamps. Ask whether your old drivers can come in with the job.
- Contact the team with your campus addresses and timing so they can confirm pickup availability.
- Some scrap yards take them, but PCB and unlabeled ballasts need an approved recycler.
- Eligible non-PCB ballasts can ship back in a prepaid kit from most US states. Contact us about PCB units.
Get Started With Ballast Recycling in Ontario
Finishing a relamp or clearing out old fluorescent fixtures? Choose the service that fits your project: bring materials to Francis Street, mail eligible non-PCB units in a kit, or send us your job details for a pickup quote.
