If we replace light bulbs with fluorescent ones, what do we do with the unwanted incandescent ones we removed?

Question

Won't they just end up in the waste stream? Is there a eco-freiendly way to discard them? I now have only fluorescent bulbs throught out my home, but I'm also stuck with a box full of incandescent bulbs I don't want and probably can't even give away

Answer 1

I will take them if you are kind enough to pay postage.

The real risk is the mecury vapor filled fluorescent bulbs you have switched too. Your incandescent bulbs will no doubt end up in the "waste stream." But, so will your mercury filled time bombs. Which unlike the incandescent bulbs, will no doubt leach mercury into our water supply.

For the mere cost of postage, I will recycle the incandescent bulbs for you.

Answer 2

Even though the incandescent bulbs are not as efficient, there are probably lots of struggling organizations that would love to have them donated - Food Banks, Goodwill, etc.  Just be sure you only donate bulbs with some life remaining.

Answer 3

Just so you know before you throw the old incandescent ones away, there is one thing I learned about CF bulbs no one is talking about.  In order for you to get the max life out of them, they should only be used on fixtures that are left on for long periods of time.  If you are constantly switching  a light on and off, that is not good for fluorescent bulb's life.  Also remember not to throw away florescent bulbs in the trash either!!

Answer 4

There are still tenants in some places who are using electricity paid for by the landlord. They have no incentive to buy fluorescent bulbs.

But they will be buying new or used incandescent bulbs to replace those that burn out.

When incandescents are banned from sale, there will be some people looking to buy them.

Answer 5

I have this great thing called a trash can.  Whatever I don't want, or whatever is used up goes into it.  Once I week I put all these items at the end of my driveway, and when I come home they have magically vanished.  It's pretty cool.

Answer 6

Incandescent Light bulbs need to be recycled.  They are comprised of many valuable components that are easily recycled back into other uses instead of depending on Earth to supply more.

Answer 7

I have to take a different position that a few of the other answerers here.  While there are non-profits, schools, and poor people who might gladly accept your old incandescent bulbs, you must NOT let them get re-used.  Why not?  Because then there might not be an actual reduction in carbon emissions.  Think about it.  Your old bulb created a relatively large amount of carbon emission.  Your new CFL bulb will create much less carbon emission, but it will still generate some.  If you give your old bulb to someone who might not have otherwise used that bulb, there could well be a NET INCREASE in global warming as a result of your actions - as both your old bulb and a new one would be in use. "Our goal is not just to reduce our PERSONAL carbon emissions, but to think about how to reduce OVERALL carbon emissions, also."

You will be hard pressed to find a convenient way to recycle your old bulbs.  I fear your best bet is to simply throw them away.  Yes, you are prematurely increasing trash going to landfill, but I believe that's a reasonable trade-off for the certainty of years of reduced carbon emissions.  GreenJoe.com says "Out with the brown, in with the green!"

Answer 8

Let me start off by saying we (my family and I) live 100% off of the grid and are completely self-sufficient with a 0% Carbon footprint. I believe this is the first step anyone can make “help the environment”. Once you convert your own life style to a greener more eco friendly route, you can start helping others.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs, right now, are more " eco-wise" then anything else most consumers can get a hold of (ie. incandescent) and currently save over 2000 times their own weight in greenhouse gases.

But since my house is completely on solar / wind and we REALLY need to watch usage, every light is fitted with s***w type (typical 110v lamp socket style) LED bulbs. They emit the same luminosity (typically 45) but at only 1watt rather then a 45w compact or 10w CFL. However they usually cost twice as much as CFLs which is twice as much (or more) as compacts. Still LEDs would be the way to go by far.

As for the second part of your question...

Mercury IS the lesser of the evils, without getting toooo elaborate discussing specifics (ie. which burns ozone faster, other layer's besides ozone, disposing locations, methods, wind conditions, etc), one needs less mercury gas then most others, to obtain the same luminosity in a vacuum because of mercury's longer agitated spectral wavelength. Mercury's wavelength is more blue which is a longer more "luminous" or brighter light to say sodium, which is a more light orange or shorter less bright (red being the shortest) wavelength. so you'd need more sodium or other, in the tube or more electricity to the tube, to create the same luminosity as mercury.

so mercury wins out only because the sheer volume needed is less then the others.

Hope this helped, feel free to contact me personally if you have any questions if you’d like assistance in making your first self sufficient steps, I’m willing to walk you step by step threw the process. I’ve written several how-to DIY guides available at  www agua-luna com on the subject. I also offer online and on-site workshops, seminars and internships to help others help the environment.

Dan Martin

Alterative Energy / Sustainable Consultant, Living 100% on Alternative & Author of How One Simple Yet Incredibly Powerful Resource Is Transforming The Lives of Regular People From All Over The World... Instantly Elevating Their Income & Lowering Their Debt, While Saving The Environment by Using FREE ENERGY... All With Just One Click of A Mouse...For more info Visit:  

www AGUA-LUNA com

Stop Global Warming!!!

Answer 9

Try you local freecycle group. This is a great place to trade lightly used goods without having to throw them away.

http://www.freecycle.org/   will help you find a group in your area.

Answer 10

There is really no harm in throwing the bulbs away and you may even be able to recycle (glass) them depending on your city. Replacing an incandescent light with a CFL and thus reducing energy use by ~75% then adding the benefit of a truly long lasting bulb (many years for CFL's) is a much greater benefit than a little glass and inert metal ending up in the landfill. Food packaging can have a much higher negative impact on the environment than an incandescent bulb.

Answer 11

I would think common sense should dictate that you use the incandescent bulbs till they burn out and then replace them.By the way what do you do in the chill of winter when it is to cold for the CFL's to work and you what you front door light on,because even the CFL's encased in the flood light do not work in the winter

Answer 12

lightbulb fight!!!

Answer 13

Give them to me. I shall hoard them and bathe under their warm light while all of you suffer under metallic fluorescent light.

Answer 14

the best thing to do is wait until what you have needs to be replaced and then replace them with the eco-friendly type.

That seems to be too late advice for you.

I would call up your city and see if they have any suggestions

Answer 15

Since you could not wait until your incandescent bulbs burned out to replace it with a fluorescent ones, you could give them away to other people who continue to incandescent bulbs, perhaps someone in need who cannot afford to buy their own light bulbs.  Believe it or not, their are people who have only one or two light bulbs and have to unscrew the bulb in one room to use it in another room.  People under this circumstance would be grateful to receive your used bulb.

Answer 16

yes, take it to a collection site