Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs Are Hazardous Waste

I agree with you, I have the bulbs as well and I heard about them containing mercury. There is no way that you tell a lady to evacuate her house and then you just throw those away. Just like we have recycling programs, a program needs to be put in place in order to properly dispose these bulbs.

HI buddy, No major environmental group or organization with their solid science knowledge base has spoken any concern about the disposal of cfl’s. There is a small amount of mercury vapor in all fluorescent lights. Mercury is a toxic substance but the amount in CFL’s compared to all the other sources of mercury exposure (thermometers, regular long tube fluorescent lamps, emissions from coal-fired power plants, etc.) is so little that it does not substantially contribute to the problem of mercury exposure. In fact, the amount of mercury produced from generating the electricity to burn an incandescent bulb is more than that from the electricity for a CFL and the amount contained in the CFL combined. So there is still less mercury going into the environment from using CFL's. We should be disposing of all our used mercury-containing products by appropriate hazardous waste methods. So, after the long useful life span of a CFL is over, we recommend disposal through hazardous waste handling systems, but it is not obligatory to do so. A few progressive recycle facilities have found reclamation markets for fluorescent lights. Currently IKEA stores and now Home Depot stores will take back CFL's or you can order recyclepaks on our ShopIPL website for shipping bulbs directly to a recyling facility. If you need larger sizes of recyling boxes, visit RecycleYourCFL.com. You can also check Earth 911 for other disposal options. For more information on mercury in CFL's, check out the EPA's fact sheet. Happy mylotting

I did some research when my wife first bought some of those a while back. There's not that much mercury in them. Whoever told her to evacuate was going way overboard. Unless she'd dropped a whole pallet of them or tried eating one there was no real threat. Many of the packages even give instructions on how to properly clean them up.

Thanks for the warning. They have to know how many people have mercury poisoning, already.Why would they not put a warning is what ,I wonder. I have seen people with mercury poisoning, it is horrible and can range from speech problems to not being able to walk. Wow what are they thinking. Bet there will be law suits if this is not changed.

If these light bulbs are unavoidable in the future, I think it's best to use them the most minimal as possible. I hope that there will be eco-friendly lighting created in the future. There's still hope, I really wish..

Dear friskimage, This is a very informative and important topic that every myLotters here should participate because it involves everyone of us, our future generation, our environment and out earth. There should definitely have an "Awareness Campaign" worldwide to educate the nation on the proper disposal of this type of fluorescent light bulb. Any brands that you aware of carrying this range of bulbs? I must check whether do they market it here in Malaysia. Thanks for sharing and go for safer environment!

Yes,agree