Where to recycle compact fluorescent lightbulbs
While increasingly more retailers are selling compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), options for recycling spent bulbs have been few and far between. But the number of drop-off sites jumped by nearly 2,000 this past June when the Home Depot, the nation’s largest home improvement retailer, started a free CFL collecting/recycling program at each of its U.S. stores; a similar program at Canadian stores started last fall. Currently, Ikea is the only other retailer to collect the bulbs nationally.
CFLs should be recycled so that the mercury they contain isn't released into the environment. Each bulb contains about 5 milligrams or less of mercury, a neurotoxin, or about 1 percent of the amount in an old-fashioned thermometer. The presence of mercury raises several issues, including the handling of broken bulbs.
RECYCLING OPTIONS
Bring spent, unbroken CFLs to Home Depot or Ikea. There’s no fee, and the stores will accept any CFLs, even those you didn’t buy from them. Ace Hardware also collects CFLs at select locations, including more than 25 of their stores in Montana, Utah, and South Dakota.
Check whether your local Household Hazardous Waste Collection Site recycles CFLs. You can also visit the Environmental Protection Agency's lightbulb recycling site to find options.
Sylvania has a mail-in program, but it's pricey. See The bulb is in the mail.
As a last resort, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends sealing fluorescent lightbulbs in two plastic bags and putting them in the trash.
RELATED LINKS:
CFLs: New twists in savings (full report available to subscribers)
CFL Safety [Video]
Maine DEP: What to do if a bulb breaks
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