How To Dispose Of Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Of course youll have to find out if there are any recycling or disposal sites in your area first. Check with your local garbage or recycling center to see if it is illegal to throw away fluorescent bulbs in your area.

How To Dispose Of Fluorescent Lights San Mateo County Environmental Health Services Blog

Aluminum is recycled as scrap metal and the glass is downcycled into materials like concrete or ceramic tile.

How to dispose of fluorescent light bulbs. Place any soft materials inside a sealed plastic bag. Recycling them is best for ensuring they stay out of landfills. Also you must never throw out light bulbs with your household waste.

Look for bins to deposit these bulbs at the front of the store. Place a broken fluorescent light tube in a resealable plastic bag. Turn off the central ACheat.

Home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot usually accept CFL bulbs. Fluorescent tube bulbs can generally be recycled at the same sites that take used CFL bulbs but some retailers may not accept larger ones. Is it illegal to dispose of fluorescent bulbs.

To dispose of your CFL bulbs properly recycle them. Store used fluorescent tubes in a closed container such as the tubes original cardboard packaging or a large plastic trash bag. Mercury can be reused in new bulbs or products like thermostats.

Store fluorescent light bulbs in containers that prevent them from breaking such as in their original boxes boxes from replacement bulbs or containers supplied by fluorescent light bulb recyclers. After fifteen minutes scoop up as many large shards as you can and put them into a sealable plastic bag take-and-toss plastic containers or an old jar with a lid. Many businesses and homeowners arent aware that its illegal to throw fluorescent bulbs out with the trash.

We provide this service nationally if you have at least 500 CFL bulbs to dispose of. If you have hundreds of CFL bulbs you will most likely need the pick-up services of a professional hazardous waste recycler whereby you can schedule the recycler to collect bulk pick-ups of fluorescent bulbs. Yes fluorescent bulbs can be recycled.

The EPA notes that some states and local jurisdictions may have stricter regulations regarding the disposal of fluorescent tubes and other hazardous wastes including mandated recycling. You cant just put them out with the cans and bottles. If handled properly the glass metals and other material components can all be recycled into other products.

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. Fluorescent tubes are a commonly used lighting source thanks to their efficiency and easy installation however whilst being freely used across the UK many people dont know how and why to correctly dispose of fluorescent lighting and these harmful products are ending up in landfills and damaging our environment. Since energy-efficient practices are so necessary in the current state of our world you must do your part and recycle fluorescent tubes correctly and with care.

Contact your local waste. Under the EPA Universal Waste Rule the mercury-containing light bulbs can be treated as non-hazardous waste if they are recycled. Use disposable wet wipes or damp paper towels to wipe the area clean and place wipes in the plastic bag or glass jar along with the broken glass and used duct tape.

Wipe down the area with a wet paper towel or old towel that can also be sealed up. Fluorescent tubes are shipped to a bulb recycler that uses special machines to extract the mercury and breaks down the aluminum caps and glass casing. Many local recycling or environmental regulatory agencies recommend sealing the storage container or bag prior to pickup.

Your local waste collection agency should be able to tell you about the particulars of such disposal of fluorescent tubes regulations in your state or locality. How to Dispose of Fluorescent Light Bulbs. Avoid taping the fluorescent tubes together and try and place the lighting equipment in a box of some sort.

The method that the EPA recommends is to recycle them properly via their guidelines. What if I Have Fluorescent Tube Bulbs. Ask your sanitation department about recycling centers near you that accept fluorescent light tubes.

Open an outside door or window to air out the room and then leave the room for about fifteen minutes. All fluorescent lamps and tubes must be recycled or taken to a household hazardous waste disposal facility a universal waste handler eg storage facility or broker or an authorized recycling facility. Take the broken bulb remnants to your recycler if possible.

Recyclers generally require that the light bulbs arrive unbroken. However if an accident happens and fluorescent tubes are broken then please use the following steps to properly dispose of broken fluorescent tubes. However a few assessments before you proceed with recycling.

On Recycling Of Fluorescent Bulbs Ecomena