Disposing of CFL Light Bulbs

CFL bulbs should be recycled, not thrown in the regular trash.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are much more energy efficient than traditional bulbs. However, CFL bulbs should not be simply thrown in the trash because they contain mercury. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends that you hold on to compact fluorescent light bulbs to recycle them properly at an appropriate location. Some municipalities or communities require recycling and do not allow disposing of CFLs in the garbage.

Instructions

1. Find a box or small bin that you can use to safely store CFL bulbs after they have burnt out or are no longer working. Pad the bin with a soft material like a rag or bubble wrap. If the bulb seems broken in any way, place it in a zipper food bag to avoid any contamination.

2. Call your local waste disposal agency or contact your community recycling center. Local contact numbers and websites are usually available online or in the government pages of your telephone book.

3. Ask the waste disposal agent when the next hazardous waste disposal drop off or pick up day will be. Hold on to your CFL bulbs until you can take them to the location (or have them picked up).

4. Contact your local home improvement centers such as Ace Hardware, Lowes, IKEA or Home Depot. These stores usually accept CFL bulbs for recycling and can provide a faster way to dispose of them if the community hazardous waste day is not convenient.

Tips & Warnings

• Save cardboard packaging materials or bubble wrap so CFL bulbs can be safely stored and transported to the recycling center.

• If a compact fluorescent light bulb breaks in your home, follow proper clean up procedures. Call your poison control center for immediate clean up instructions, or print out the CFL cleaning procedure from the EPA website.

References

• EPA: Cleanup and Safe Disposal of CFL Bulbs
• Earth 911: Find Recycling Centers

Resources

• EPA: Cleanup and Safe Disposal of CFL Bulbs
• Earth911: Find Recycling Centers