EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local options for recycling CFLs, fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs that contain mercury, and all other household hazardous wastes, rather than disposing of them in regular household trash.
On this page:
- Recycling CFLs
- Where toRecycle CFLs
Benefits of Recycling CFLs
Recycling prevents the release of mercury into the environment.CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs often break when thrown into a dumpster, trash can or compactor, or when they end up in a landfill or incinerator. Learn more about CFLs and mercury.
- Other materials in the bulbs get reused.Recycling CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs allows reuse of the glass, metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights. Virtually all components of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled.
- Your area may prohibit disposal and/orrequire recycling.Some states and local jurisdictions have more stringent regulations than U.S. EPA does, and may require that you recycle CFLs and other mercury-containing light bulbs. Visit search.Earth911.com to contact your local waste collection agency, which can tell you if such a requirement exists in your state or locality. We are aware that the following states prohibit mercury-containing lamps from being discarded into landfills.The following links exit the site:
Where to Recycle CFLs
The short answer is: Visit search.Earth911.com to find out.
Longer answer:Recycle at/using:
- Waste collection agencies
- Local retailers
- Mail-back services
Contact your local waste collection agency
Visit search.Earth911.comto find collection schedules in your area or drop-off locations if curbside collections are not available. Note that waste collection agencies:
- Provide services that are usually free, though some may charge a small fee.
- Sometimes collect household hazardous wastes only once or twice a year, so residents will have to hold on to their light bulbs until the collection takes place. Other collection agencies provide collection services throughout the year.
- May also collect paints, pesticides, cleaning supplies or batteries.
- Usually accept waste only from residents, although some collection programs include small businesses as well.
Visit your local retailers
Many hardware supply stores and other retailers offer in-store recycling.
Visit search.Earth911.comto find stores in your area or check the list below.
Make sure you check directly with the store before you go; not all stores in regional or nationwide chains may participate, and some stores may recycle only certain types of bulbs (for example, a store may recycle CFLs but not 4-foot fluorescent tubes).
Find out about mail-back services
Some bulb manufacturers and other organizations sell pre-labeled recycling kits that allow you to mail used bulbs to recycling centers. The cost of each kit includes shipping charges to the recycling center. You fill up a kit with old bulbs, seal it, and bring it to the post office or leave it for your postal carrier. Websites that provide more information about mail-back services.
Please Note
- EPA does not endorse, recommend, certify, authorize or approve of these services.
- There may be other similar services of which we are not aware.
- We only provide these links as a convenience to our web visitors.
If your state or local environmental regulatory agency permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the regular household trash, seal the bulb in a plastic bag and put it into the outside trash for the next normal trash collection.
FAQs
Contact your local waste collection agency
- Provide services that are usually free, though some may charge a small fee.
- Sometimes collect household hazardous wastes only once or twice a year, so residents will have to hold on to their light bulbs until the collection takes place.
No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use, and may only be potentially emitted if broken. Do NOT throw CFLs away in your household garbage.
How do I dispose of mercury light bulbs near me? ›
You can take your CFLs to an antifreeze, batteries, oil, paint (ABOP) facility, or a household hazardous waste event. They are also accepted at all Home Depot, IKEA, Batteries + Bulbs, and Lowe's stores in the U.S., as well as many regional chains. Find a drop-off location near you using our Recycling Locator.
Do CFL light bulbs contain mercury? ›
Mercury, an essential part of CFLs, allows a bulb to be an efficient light source. On average, CFLs contain about four milligrams of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury – an amount equal to the mercury in more than 100 CFLs.
How do you dispose of mercury lamps? ›
Use a piece of cardboard to sweep the debris into a container. Pick up mercury powder and small fragments using the adhesive side of a piece of tape and add this to the disposal container. Seal it up and search specifically for a waste facility that accepts broken lamps containing mercury.
Can I put light bulbs in the recycling bin? ›
As light bulbs contain electrical and sometimes chemical components, you can't recycle light bulbs with other types of glass – such as bottles and jars. Instead, in most cases light bulbs should be recycled alongside other electrical items with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling.
How should CFL bulbs be disposed? ›
If your state or local environmental regulatory agency permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection.
How long does it take for mercury from a CFL to evaporate? ›
If the bulb breaks, leave the area for 15 minutes and (if possible) ventilate by opening exterior doors or windows. Restrict entry into the immediate area and follow cleanup procedures. A ½ gram droplet of mercury requires more than one year to completely evaporate at room temperature.
Can CFL light bulbs go into a landfill? ›
However, these bulbs should never be thrown away in household trash. CFL bulbs contain mercury, which is toxic to humans and pets. Even though most bulbs contain only about 4 milligrams, CFL bulbs thrown into a landfill can leak toxins into groundwater and taint the drinking water supply in the local area.
Does Lowes take mercury light bulbs? ›
Lowes. Lowes accepts compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) for recycling in 1,700 US stores. Their permanent recycling centers offer a free, convenient and easy way for customers to recycle rechargeable batteries, cell phones, CFLs and plastic shopping bags.
The biggest market for CFL recycling is retailers (like Home Depot and Lowe's), which accept them for free but only from consumers. CFLs are more widely purchased by consumers in these retail stores, whereas fluorescent tubes are more often used in offices. It's also easier to ship CFLs for recycling than the tubes.
What can I do with 4 foot fluorescent bulbs? ›
How to Properly Dispose of Fluorescent Light Bulbs
- Recycle Fluorescent Tubes. Find a local recycling facility near you. ...
- Local Retailers. Drop off at a local hardware or home improvement store. ...
- Local Utility Company. ...
- 4. Mail Them In. ...
- Household Hazardous Waste Facility. ...
- Use Caution When Disposing.
What to do if a mercury-containing light bulb breaks
- Open a window or door to ventilate the room and turn off the heating/cooling system if practical.
- For hard surfaces, use stiff cardboard to scoop up broken pieces. ...
- Use wet wipes or wet paper towels to clean hard surfaces and then discard them.
The parts of the body most affected by mercury inhalation are the kidneys and the central nervous system. People who have accidentally inhaled relatively large quantities of vapours – for instance at certain workplaces – often show inflammation of the lungs, kidney damage, gastroenteritis, restlessness and shaking.
What happens if you break a CFL bulb? ›
Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of elemental mercury, typically between 2 and 5 milligrams in common four-foot tubes and about the same for most compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) bulbs. When broken, mercury vapors may be released into the air. The mercury released from broken bulb is mostly in vapor form.
How do you dispose of mercury at home? ›
Safe Disposal of Mercury Containing Items. You should never put mercury in the trash. Mercury containing items can be safely collected, recycled, or disposed of in an approved waste disposal facility.
How do you deal with mercury waste? ›
Packaging Mercury for Storage and Transportation
If you must wait for a hazardous waste collection day, store products safely in their original containers with the labels intact, and keep them out of reach of children and pets. Transport containers to a household hazardous collection center in a cardboard box.
How do you extract mercury from a light bulb? ›
The mercury can be extracted from CFL bulbs using bio trickling filters and sulphur oxidising bacteria. By using these two methods we can extract about 99% of mercury from CFL bulbs. But this process is very expensive as compared to the extraction of mercury using thermal method.
