The Haz Mat side of Compact Fluorescents
Now that we've learned how to correctly spell Compact Fluorescent Light bulb, let's discuss what is dangerous about these bulbs. They've got mercury in them. A teaspoon of mercury destroys Superman and all of his comic book friends. Dorothy and Toto get obliterated. The Lion can't save them. Mercury doesn't go in landfills--at least not when the landfill police are watching--and it doesn't go in the recycling bin. It's unsafe for both.
"Where oh where can the mercury go," you and your little friend Toto ask.
Just click your heels three times, Dorothy, and you'll find yourself in one of two places: The local hazardous material disposal station or at lightbulbrecycling.com.
That's right, recycling CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs is not high on most state's recycling program lists. They're still busy trying to get you and your neighbor to use them. For those of you Dorothies that are skipping down CFL Way, you could be stuck with a Haz Mat disposal site as your easiest solution. And if that's all you've got or got time for, I'd take it. It's better than mercury in the landfill.
But places like Madison, Wisc. do offer fluorescent bulb recycling programs. Madison requires that any store that sells a fluorescent bulb also take the bulb back for recycling. The store owner is allowed to charge a fee. You Dorothies living in Berkeley, Austin and Ann Arbor may also have CFL recycling programs. You might want to check.
For those of us living on CFL Way but without a recycling program nearby, we can send away to a Web site owned by Eco-Products and get a CFL recycling kit. Eco-Products makes compostable cutlery, coffee cups and sleeves. Their program is pricey, but it guarantees the bulbs get recycled with a receipt.
And that, my Dorothies, is your lesson on how to spell and recycle compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
Comments [9]
Tips for a Green Thanksgiving
10 Tips for Making Your Home More Energy Efficient
Green Gift Ideas: Beauty Gift Sets
