Fluorescent Light Tubes Disposal

They should not be disposed of in your curbside trash.

Fluorescent light tubes disposal.

So he has been taking his old bulbs to lowe s and home depot for recycling. Fluorescent bulbs or tubes fall into the hazardous waste category since they also contain mercury. That can lead to short term health risk for exposed individuals and lasting environmental damage to soil and water. The mercury inside fluorescent tube lights is hazardous so extra care should be taken to ensure that this material doesn t leak.

For cfls in particular there are several recycling options. In most communities there are several options for recycling used bulbs including tube style fluorescents and cfls. While compact fluorescent lightbulbs cfls have extensive recycling options through retail drop offs and mail in programs the same can t be said for fluorescent tubes. Recycling cfls and other fluorescent bulbs allows reuse of the glass metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights.

These bulbs are most commonly used for industrial lighting and in commercial buildings. No matter the type of light bulb from fluorescent to incandescent to cfl to halogen it is always recommended to recycle used bulbs safely and properly. Luckily these tubes will last up to 15 000 hours so you won t need to worry about recycling them often. Virtually all components of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled.

Fees may apply and will vary based on bulb type and store location. Check earth911 for your area and call ahead to be sure or take your used fluorescent tube bulbs to your nearest household hazardous waste site. In some areas it s actually illegal to dispose of fluorescent tubes in the trash so be sure to follow the proper steps in recycling your fluorescent tubes to avoid breaking the law or damaging people s health. Fluorescent tubes serve as an energy efficient alternative to incandescent light bulbs but they contain low levels of toxic mercury which can be released into the air or water if the tubes are broken.

Given the current situation we encourage you to reserve your recycling for when the covid 19 pandemic has passed. Your area may prohibit disposal and or require recycling. Recycle fluorescent lights cfls and hids at no charge throughout washington state. This is why batteries plus bulbs accepts all types of light bulbs for recycling.

The dnr recommends that even green fluorescent bulbs be recycled because they often do contain measurable amounts of mercury. Dave lake of colerain township has been replacing his unattractive fluorescent light bulbs in his home with new led bulbs. Fluorescent tube bulbs can generally be recycled at the same sites that take used cfl bulbs but some retailers may not accept larger ones.