Today we are all more aware of our impact on the earth and atmosphere. Light Bulbs containing mercury are certainly an element of that. Without getting too technical or detailed, I hope to provide you with the information you need to properly recycle or dispose of these types of light bulbs. This is not meant to be a comprehensive outline of all requirements and regulations. What I do want to do is to give you some general guidance as to what to do with mercury light bulbs and provide resources that give all the nitty gritty details.

What Light Bulbs to Take Care with: Energy efficient light bulbs containing mercury should always be recycled or disposed of properly if they happen to be broken. Why? For the same reasons that a pregnant lady should not eat deep sea fish, you should minimize the exposure you and your family have to mercury whether it be from a light bulb or from a broken thermometer (the old type). Mercury is used in energy efficient light bulbs: fluorescent light bulbs, compact fluorescent light bulbs and HID lamps (mercury vapor, high pressure sodium and metal halide.)

You might ask why use these light bulbs if they pose a problem to our environment. Manufacturers over the last 20 years have been making huge strides in reducing and eliminating mercury from these energy efficient light bulbs. Using these light bulbs, even though they contain small amounts of mercury, is still better for our environment than using lesser efficient light bulbs. The savings in harmful output by coal burning power plants dramatically outweighs the impact of the mercury in these light bulbs…..especially when we dispose of them properly. The Energy Star website explains how compact fluorescent light bulbs save more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere.

Recycling Light Bulbs: It is recommended to always recycle mercury light bulbs. Depending on whether you are recycling light bulbs from your home or place of business, your method may be a bit different. Recycling of mercury content light bulbs is done in many places across the country. The EPA website has a wonderful link system that will connect you to licensed companies in your area that will take light bulbs from residential customers and sometimes small businesses. http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/id/univwast/lamps/live.htm Please visit this for specific requirements in your area. Some companies will dispose of them for free and others may charge a nominal fee. These centers can often recycle multiple parts of the bulb. If you use these lamps in a large business, you will need to follow more specific rules and steps. Following is a link to the page on the EPA site that outlines this set of guidelines for you. http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/id/univwast/lamps/recycle.htm

What do you do if your local environmental regulatory agency provides no disposal options? The EPA recommends that you double bag all fluorescent, compact fluorescent and HID lamps in plastic bags and place them for regular trash pickup. Ultimately, your state EPA may have specific requirements for recycling fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs. Please consult your state or local environmentally regulatory agency.

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