What Happens Next to Light Bulbs

Fluorescent lamps are excellent candidates for recycling, due to the substances from which they are made. Each part (mercury and calcium phosphate) can be reused to make new lamps or other products.

Glass

Glass fits this bill especially well. Glass does not lose any of its durability or quality when recycled. In fact, the U.S. requires all newly manufactured glass products to contain at least 35 percent recycled glass.

Mercury

Many manufacturers, such as Sylvania, purchase retorted mercury to manufacture new products. This is a great way to prevent contamination of the environment by this substance, as well as reduce consumption of new mercury.

Aluminum

The aluminum used to manufacture the end-caps for lamps are used to make new end-caps and other aluminum products.

After these lights have been recycled, “what’s next” is really up to you. Continuing to purchase energy efficient lighting will help reduce your consumption of new lamps and energy. If every household in the U.S. replaced five incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), over one trillion tons of greenhouse gases would be saved—or, the emissions of eight million cars. This simple change could help us save $6 billion.