Growing demand for CFL and Fluorescent Lamps Increases Need for Lamp Recycling Services

Recently we came across an interesting and informative article about the proper handling and disposal of CFL fluorescent lamps. With the increasing popularity of compact fluorescent lamps, there is also an increasing amount of hazardous (mercury containing) lamps ending up in our landfills. To find out more about recycling of fluorescent lamps visit here

Jennifer Goodman with EchoHome has a great article on CFL Bulb Disposal: Handle With Care Mercury-containing bulbs necessitate recycling, not trashing. Below is part of the article. To read the complete article, visit their site here

As homeowners embrace more efficient lighting technologies, remodelers, electricians, and other contractors should think twice before tossing light bulbs and lighting fixtures in the trash.

Growing in popularity due to their long life and low energy usage, compact fluorescent (CFL) and other energy-efficient light bulbs such as linear fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps contain a very small amount of mercury, a poisonous substance. Ten states and multiple local jurisdictions prohibit the disposal of mercury-containing products--including CFLs and other mercury-containing bulbs--in solid waste. (For state-by-state regulations click here.)

Just as pros learned to safely dispose of old mercury thermostats, they will need to devise a plan for the way they dispose of remodeling waste containing these new types of bulbs, says Mark Kohorst, senior manager for environment, health, and safety for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

“For example, in the past a contractor doing a kitchen remodeling project would gut the kitchen and didn’t worry about the old fixtures and bulbs—for the most part 25-cent incandescents—that were going in the trash,” says Kohorst. “As the marketplace changes, some of this lighting could now include CFLs, which need to be treated as special waste.”

But even with the threat of fines and penalties, the residential building industry has been slow to embrace CFL recycling, says Mark Tibbetts, director of NEMA’s recycling initiative.

“Recyclers find contractors to be a very tough market to crack, partly because there hasn’t been a real threat of enforcement,” Tibbetts says. “But as a contractor, you are liable if these lamps are part of your demolition.”

In coming years, pros are sure to find more of these types of bulbs in the houses they remodel, Tibbetts adds. CFL use is expected to grow in part because traditional incandescent bulbs will be phased out by 2014 under the federal Clean Energy Act. In many areas, energy companies already are offering incentives such as mail-in rebates to incite homeowners to switch to CFLs.