Green Daily

One of the first suggestions you'll read in any how-to-go-green article is to switch your incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Here is a great Green Daily article by Lara Gibson all about the benefits of CFLs. CFLs do contain a small amount of mercury, however, and special precautions regarding disposal and cleanup are in order.

For disposal of CFLs, whether burned out or broken, you should check with your state. Some states permit you to put them in with regular trash (in two sealed plastic bags), some require you to bring them to special centers. Here is a state-by-state guide by the EPA.

If a CFL breaks inside your home, you should open a window immediately, leave the room for 15 minutes or more, then return and carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with a stiff paper and put them in a sealed plastic bag. Use disposable rubber gloves, then wipe the area clean with damp paper towels and dispose of the gloves and paper towels in the sealed bag also. Do not use a vacuum or sweep to clean up the broken bulb. Then place all the materials in a second sealed plastic bag and put it outside in an outdoor trash container until the next regular pickup, if permitted in your state.

If a CFL breaks on carpet, use the steps above. Pick up as much as you can by sweeping with a stiff paper. You can use sticky tape also. If you must use a vacuum, remove the vacuum bag when done and place it in two, sealed plastic bags and dispose.