What Do You Do With Your Bulbs? / myLot

New Bedford, Massachusetts

December 13, 2015 11:06am CST

When compact fluorescents became the bulb to choose, disposing of spent bulbs became an issue. Fluorescents, including tubes, were never meant to enter landfills. Towns and cities scurried to come up with a safe means of disposal. Most "require" residents to drop their compact flourescent bulbs, their flourescent tubes, mercury vapor lamps at their local Board of Health office. Since this is not convenient, the average person will throw them away in the trash. What do you do with your bulbs?

11 people like this

11 responses

M.-L.

@MALUSE (69409)

• Germany

13 Dec 15

In Germany you can give them back in the shops where you bought them.

2 people like this

louievill

@louievill (28851)

• Philippines

13 Dec 15

Just wondering what the shops where you bought them from would do with them, probably throw them also

Yuki

@yukimori (10143)

• United States

13 Dec 15

@louievill The stores that take them here participate in recycling programs.

Irene Nevins

@irenen1 (228)

• New Bedford, Massachusetts

14 Dec 15

@louievill There's a good chance the companies that manufacture them can reuse parts.

Mari Juana

@marijuana (570)

• Tel Aviv, Israel

13 Dec 15

Well we just throw them away in the trash- When I was in high school I remember our science teacher told us about mercury contents and said we should not be throwing bulbs in the trash .. But I never saw/knew anybody throwing away bulbs some place special.. But every time I have to throw away bulbs, I always think and worry about it's mercury content and danger it posses.

1 person likes this

Yuki

@yukimori (10143)

• United States

13 Dec 15

I usually take them to Home Depot. They have a recycling bin for them at the front of the store, and you don't have to make a purchase to recycle your bulbs there. I believe Lowe's has a similar program, and Best Buy also recycles a lot of household electronic waste. Our store doesn't have a bin for light bulbs, but I believe the company has chosen to participate in the Waste Management recycle-by-mail program. You can check your ZIP Code through Waste Management's site to see if their recycle-by-mail program is available in your area. The only problem is that the kits cost something like $20, which is kind of ridiculous considering how many places will take them for free. And actually, all bulbs including incandescents should be recycled. They all contain trace amounts of chemicals that shouldn't be put into landfills.

1 person likes this

Anna

@LadyDuck (459122)

• Switzerland

13 Dec 15

We bring our bulbs to the grocery stores, they have bins to collect them. We can also give them back to the shops that sells bulbs, they are obliged to dispose them.

1 person likes this

amnabas

@amnabas (13742)

• Karachi, Pakistan

13 Dec 15

We too throw them in trash but then they are recycled by the concerned authorities.

1 person likes this

MARILYN

@Marilynda1225 (79961)

• United States

13 Dec 15

No fluorescent bulbs in my house so my bulbs are ok to throw in the trash

1 person likes this

Koalemos

@Asylum (47893)

• Manchester, England

13 Dec 15

All my light bulbs are the standard type and I have no fluorescent tubes anywhere in the house, so |I simply discard them in the dustbin.

scarlet_woman

@scarlet_woman (23465)

• United States

7 May 16

those things are a pain in the butt to get rid of-rhode island actually expects you to save them up and take them to johnston landfill..yea,NOT.i throw them in a coffee can and into the trash.yea,i feel bad about doing it,but i'm not travelling upstate on my dime.