If there’s one thing lots of people had in common on their holiday wish list this year, it was probably some trendy, hi-tech gadget.

"People get new electronics during the holidays," said Alison Hansen of the San Joaquin County Public Works Department. "And that means they have tons of old electronics to throw away."

To cope with the influx of mechanical waste, which can contain toxins like mercury and lead, the county will host post-holiday recycling events in five cities, including Tracy, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 12 at Boyd Service Center, Gate 1, 520 Tracy Blvd.

All collected electronics items will be dismantled at county landfills before being shipped back to manufacturers, where they will be recycled into new gizmos and gadgets.

Since electronics were banned from landfills in 2002, local agencies have looked for ways to discard electronic waste.

Plus, there’s all that extra packaging the gadgets come wrapped in, like Styrofoam.

"We do this after the holidays, especially because we know that electronics come with a lot of Styrofoam, and people don’t really know what to do with all that," Hansen said.

The only way Styrofoam can be efficiently recycled is in large quantities.

Items not accepted include bubble wrap, packing peanuts, foil, holographic wrapping and car batteries.

For information: 468-3066.