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Published on May 19th, 2008

CFL Recycling Rates Remain Low

by Trey Granger

According to a news report from KGO-TV in San Francisco, local governments estimate that between five and 10 percent of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are being properly recycled.

Even in a state like California, where it is illegal to throw fluorescent lights in the trash because of their mercury content, there is no statewide plan for recycling them. CFLs are being endorsed and even given away by the millions by local energy companies.

You can find a location to recycle CFLs (and fluorescent lights in general) using Earth 911’s recycling locator. There are also take back options by manufacturers and retailers like IKEA.

Trey Granger

Trey Granger

Trey Granger is a staff member at Earth911.com.

More articles by Trey


4 Comments

  1. gary22

    posted on May 19th, 2008 at 5:49 pm

    Hi,

    The issue about mercury is fine and good; but I don’t hear anybody mentioning the phosphorus that is also in florescent bulbs???

    Myself I’m looking into LEDs. (Longer life, no phosphorus or mercury)

  2. kgo

    posted on May 22nd, 2008 at 12:03 pm

    [...] given away by the millions by local energy companies. You can find a location to recycle CFLs and fhttp://earth911.com/blog/2008/05/19/cfl-recycling-rates-remain-low/Muni driver with most complaints exposed KGO-TV Bay AreaThe I-Team exposes the Muni driver who’s had [...]

  3. caeli

    posted on May 27th, 2008 at 10:19 am

    gary22, the big reason to complain about mercury vs. phosphorus is that mercury is a neurotoxin and a heavy metal, meaning that it can linger in the environment (particularly biomass) for a very long time and can pose harmful effects to the reproductive and nerve systems of what ever animal it gets into. I agree with you on the use of LEDs – I never understood why environmental groups were so big on CFLs from the start, given the mercury issue. (Ironically, I found this website because I’m trying to find a recycling location for CFLs in California!)

  4. Rethinking the CFL « Wixed Mords

    posted on February 15th, 2009 at 9:49 pm

    [...] to leach into groundwater, or somewhere else I don’t want mercury to be. I found this CFL recycling locator, which reveals that I can drive to another town and recycle my CFLs at Home Depot. I plan on doing [...]

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