What is the right way to dispose of CFL's (compact florescent light)? I heard that they contain mercury?

Question

So i changed the light bulbs around my apartment, trying to be more eco-friendly, but i recently learned that they contain some mercury, and could be hazardous if break.

So how do you dispose of them the right way?

Answer 1

I was just at a Home Depot and noticed they've got a drop off box right at the entrance for such a thing. You put the bulb in a bag (they provide the bag there) and then drop it in the box. I can't imagine that they'd be the only place to have it, so check at the next hardware store you're in, and if you can't find one then give Home Depot a visit and drop it off there.

Answer 2

Yes, CFL's do contain mercury.  Most CFL contains about 5 milligrams of mercury to ensure that they function as an efficient light source.  So long as the bulb stays intact, none is released.  

Most CFL manufacturers took great steps in 2007 to reduce the amount of mercury in their bulbs.  

The EPA recommends that you recycle each and every CFL.  To find out more about recycling of CFL's, you can check out these sites: www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling   or www.earth911.org,

My fiance and I are acually blogging about alternative home lighting as an experiment on our blog at

http://badhuman.wordpress.com.  Check it out if you get a chance!

Answer 3

Waste disposal or recycling need to follow strict safety measures and not much is being done on this urgent and necessary sector. This includes common items like CFL also.

Disposal of waste is a specialised  process and it involves a long segmented chain. The waste toxic or otherwise is collected at different levels like households and sent for recycling/winning or canabalising useable components and the waste of waste is disposed. The whole chain works on economic viability and no body want to put money in this process. Disposal of waste is a very tricky economics and upcoming industry.

An individual can  do little  except  to stock the waste and give it to the waste collector, who then classifies the waste and send it to the "recyclers".

thnks