Where Do You Throw Away Fluorescent Light Bulbs

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Where do you throw away fluorescent light bulbs. You ve just put in your new lightbulb but what do you do with the old burnt out one. Virtually all components of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled. Epa does and may require that you recycle cfls and other mercury containing light bulbs. Fluorescent tubes serve as an energy efficient alternative to incandescent light bulbs but they contain low levels of toxic mercury which can be released into the air or water if the tubes are broken.
Not many retailers collect fluorescent bulbs but some do you can try any local batteries plus bulb store located throughout the united states. Some states and local jurisdictions have more stringent regulations than u s. For additional information on universal waste lamps please see fact sheet wmd hw 7. Although it s not such a big deal from an environmental standpoint when you toss an incandescent bulb a broken cfl can be a dangerous thing because of the mercury that it releases once broken.
The answer is no you definitely should not throw them out. That can lead to short term health risk for exposed individuals and lasting environmental damage to soil and water. When an incandescent or compact fluorescent light bulb burns out the simple thing to do is throw it into the trash without a second thought. While compact fluorescent lightbulbs cfls have extensive recycling options through retail drop offs and mail in programs the same can t be said for fluorescent tubes.
Your area may prohibit disposal and or require recycling. As mentioned they contain mercury which would be released into the environment if tossed into your regular curb side trash. You do however need to be careful of glass shards just as would when. If you do use a hazardous waste hauler and manifest make sure the manifest reads for recycling so the hazardous waste shipping fee will not be assessed.
How to get rid of fluorescent tubes. How to recycle fluorescent tubes. Recycle your bulbs when you can and cover non recyclable bulbs like incandescent in cardboard or a paper bag before you put them in the trash. Luckily these tubes will last up to 15 000 hours so you won t need to worry about recycling them often.
If you only have a few fluorescent light bulbs needing recycling you may be able to take advantage of your local county s household hazardous waste hhw drop off site.