Where To Dispose Of Fluorescent Lights

Cfl bulbs contain about 5 milligrams of mercury which can be toxic to the environment.

Where to dispose of fluorescent lights.

Virtually all components of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled. Fluorescent tubes can last up to 15 000 hours making them a common choice for. Your area may prohibit disposal and or require recycling. That can lead to short term health risk for exposed individuals and lasting environmental damage to soil and water.

Pcb containing ballasts become a concern if they are leaking or they will be removed and disposed of as hazardous waste. Fluorescent bulbs or tubes fall into the hazardous waste category since they also contain mercury. Dave lake of colerain township has been replacing his unattractive fluorescent light bulbs in his home with new led bulbs. These bulbs are most commonly used for industrial lighting and in commercial buildings.

So he has been taking his old bulbs to lowe s and home depot for recycling. Easily identifiable by their narrow glass tubes twisted into curlicue shapes compact fluorescent bulbs cfls fit into standard light fixtures and last 8 000 to 20 000 hours. Why do cfl bulbs need special disposal. How to dispose of cfl and fluorescent light bulbs unlike incandescent bulbs cfl compact fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury about 4 milligrams of the toxic metal.

How to recycle fluorescent tubes. They should not be disposed of in your curbside trash. Other materials in the bulbs get reused. Cfl bulbs are considered hazardous waste in many areas and require a little more planning when it comes to disposal.

Ballasts manufactured through 1979 may contain pcbs. Recycling cfls and other fluorescent bulbs allows reuse of the glass metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights. Luckily these tubes will last up to 15 000 hours so you won t need to worry about recycling them often. Polychlorinated biphenyls pcbs were commonly used in the small capacitor within fluorescent light ballasts.

In some areas it s actually illegal to dispose of fluorescent tubes in the trash so be sure to follow the proper steps in recycling your fluorescent tubes to avoid breaking the law or damaging people s health. 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.