How To Dispose Of Light Bulbs With Mercury In Them

Different kinds of light bulbs have become more common in most households.

How to dispose of light bulbs with mercury in them. Check with your local garbage and recycling center to see if it is ok to dispose of fluorescents and cfls in the trash. Check your local laws. Where can you dispose of them. In the us the states of california maine massachusetts minnesota new hampshire vermont and washington all prohibit throwing away.

When a bulb breaks in your home some of this mercury may be released as mercury vapor. Incandescent bulbs of all sizes and wattages. Mercury light bulbs fluorescent and high intensity discharge bulbs are energy efficient inexpensive and used in a variety of residential commercial and industrial situations including schools. It is particularly important to recycle fluorescent light bulbs to ensure that the mercury contained within them is not exposed to the environment at any cost.

To dispose of these bulbs you can take them to the place specified for the collection of hazardous waste in your locality. The proliferation of bulbs for home business landscaping outdoor lighting and electrical devices raises questions about how to dispose of them safely. When fluorescent tubes and other mercury containing lights burn out there are some simple steps to safely dispose of them. Some light bulbs are safe to trash while others contain components hazardous to the environment.

Disposing of old light bulbs by throwing them away isn t ideal since glass can break and tear the garbage bag and a damaged light bulb could release gas like argon nitrogen or helium. Light bulbs that contain even small traces of mercury are considered hazardous and require special disposal procedures. The most popular types of bulbs that you will encounter sooner or later. Learn how to dispose of light bulbs all of them safely.

Storing cfls and other fluorescents store fluorescent light bulbs in containers that prevent them from breaking such as in their original boxes boxes from replacement bulbs or containers supplied by fluorescent light bulb recyclers. Fluoro tubes and compact fluorescent lamps cpls contain small amounts of mercury and are commonly found in homes and workplaces. These bulbs contain mercury which is toxic so many places have laws against disposing of them in the trash. Each municipality has specific regulations for the disposal of such materials but luckily there are a number of ways to stay in compliance.