Green Tip: Recycling Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
by Trey Granger
Published on May 5th, 2007
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Scottsdale, AZ—Public education and media campaigns have urged consumers to replace their incandescent light bulbs with the more energy efficient Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFL). Because CFLs are up to four times as energy efficient as the traditional incandescent bulb, switching to CFLs can both save the individual consumer money and reduce the amount of energy it takes to light a home. But there is one potential environmental downside to the increased use of CFLs, which is that these energy-efficient bulbs contain small amounts of mercury.
Recycling is the only proper means of managing mercury waste, which in most cases requires the consumer to be educated about how and where to dispose of potentially hazardous materials. Earth 911, through its Web site, provides easy access to local recycling information for CFLs and numerous other potentially hazardous household waste for communities throughout the country.
“The dramatic effort to increase use of CFLs may pay off considerably in terms of reduced energy consumption,” said Mark Rappaport, Earth 911 Program Manager. “Now we need to make sure that consumers understand that it is vital that these longer-life bulbs are disposed of properly in order to ensure maximum protection of our environment and personal health and safety.”
When products containing mercury are placed in the trash, the mercury can take one of two routes back into our water: if trash is sent to a landfill, mercury can eventually leak out of the landfill and enter groundwater; if trash is incinerated, mercury may be released as a vapor into the air and return to waterways through rain and snow. For CFL bulbs to be disposed of safely, the must be stored intact until they are returned to a facility equipped to process and recycle the bulbs.
“Every day provides an opportunity for each of us to reflect on the choices we make and how they affect our personal health and environment,” continued Rappaport. “Making sure to recycle hazardous materials we use in our homes, including CFLs, is just one small way that each of us can make a big difference.”
