Florida DEP Encourages Use & Recycling of CFLs

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is pushing the use of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) so its residents will expend less energy when lighting their homes. CFLs can last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light, but extra care must be taken when they need to be changed because they contain Mercury.

“Each CFL does contain a very small amount of mercury – usually around 5 milligrams, or about the amount that would cover the tip of a ball-point pen. In comparison, a mercury fever thermometer usually contains about 500 milligrams of mercury.”

For information on where to recycle CFLs in your area (Florida or the rest of the U.S.), type “CFL” and your zip-code into the Earth 911 recycling locator box at the top of this page. For more resources on energy consumption, visit our Energy page.

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2 Comments

  1. lighting

    posted on December 18th, 2007 at 8:44 am

    Yes, we can and should use the fluorescent replacement lights. But here is a question, that is deeper than you may think.

    How do you get seven year olds to stop turning every light in the house on? This seems to be an issue, not only with my child, but all her friends as well.. Is this something they are picking up from TV? School? Where else?

  2. july

    posted on October 26th, 2008 at 9:35 pm

    Kids are kids. Teach them and anyone else to turn off the lights whenever they leave a room. Anything that is not in use should not be wasting power and electricity.

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