Does anyone discard their Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb correctly?

[kevdog]

Most retailers will not tell you this (in fact I've asked many of the girls working the registers and they have no clue), however due to the mercury content contained with the new CFL lightbulbs they are supposed to be recycled at a collecting center, rather than just thrown away. In fact, if a CFL is broken inside the house, one's individual mercury exposure could exceed toxic levels (by one report). Since the new "green" movement is in force, but they fail to educate the consumer on proper disposal of such energy-saving bulbs, I'm just wondering how many people knew about the mercury content, and how many people are actually disposing of their bulbs properly?

I for one know that I am not.

[uberdonkey5]

Good point. Didn't realise the mercury level was so high either. Mercury tends to biomaccumulate and hang around indefinately so its a pretty big environmental hazard. Are the products sold with this warning? Maybe the whole recycling/waste disposal efforts need to be hightened with better and more useable systems (In Portugal now there tends to be colour coding for type of recycling, though on many products it is not obvious how to recycle them).

[Lowcountry]

I haven't had one burn out yet.:)

[Ms_Angel_D]

I personally wasn't aware of this either, thank you for posting on it.

[Nevon]

I knew about that already. A couple of months (maybe even a year) back, one of Sweden's right-wing parties had this "green blog" where they let people share their best ideas on how to reduce their energy consumption and stuff like that. Because I like to be an ***, I replied to almost every single post - telling them why their ideas were flawed. Someone posted about CFL lightbulbs, and so I read up on them and wrote a reply where I mentioned the mercury content as one of the problems with using that kind of lightbulb.

[kevdog]

Im not aware how big of problem the mercury problem actually presents. The last time I bought a CFL nothing was written on the packaging, nor did the store know anything about it.

I've since stopped buying CFL, but not because of this reason. The blue hue, the buzzing, and I've had several suddenly stop working within a year (so much for the 10 year bulb). Someone told me once that the quality of the bulbs made in China are very suspect, however I have yet to find any brand of bulbs not made in China. I'd consider retrying a different brand if they were not made in China.

[Polygon]

I knew about that already. A couple of months (maybe even a year) back, one of Sweden's right-wing parties had this "green blog" where they let people share their best ideas on how to reduce their energy consumption and stuff like that. Because I like to be an ***, I replied to almost every single post - telling them why their ideas were flawed. Someone posted about CFL lightbulbs, and so I read up on them and wrote a reply where I mentioned the mercury content as one of the problems with using that kind of lightbulb.

its not that big of a problem. just dont break your lightbulb and dispose of it properly.

[Nevon]

its not that big of a problem. just dont break your lightbulb and dispose of it properly.

I know, I just like being an ***. ;) But the fact is that the CFL lightbulbs generally have a shorter lifespan than normal lightbulbs. I have no idea whether or not the energy saved from using CFL lightbulbs is enough to make up for the shorter lifespan. But I would guess that disposal of the mercury might be costly for whoever pays for the recycling service (here it would be the municipality). So in the end I'm not sure that using CFL lightbulbs is all that environmentally friendly.

[zachtib]

CFLs burn out?

/jk

[Canis familiaris]

I dont..
:(

TBH I don't know How to dispose toxic materials..

:(

[rustybronco]

No I do not: nor do we at work.

Kevdog, I don't know your age but when I was a kid we used to play with it in our hands at school then wash it down the drain.
also put crt's in the trash can and threw a rock at the neck!
(got to love the lead in those)


I doubt that the breakage of one cf bulb is going do much harm to you, but I would stay away from busting 8ft tubular bulbs and putting them in your trash can. :)

***edit***yes I know about the mercury in them.

[cmat]

I haven't had any burn out yet since I started using them 4 years ago. But when they do you can just drop them off at a local hardware store that has a recycling program free of charge.

[kevdog]

I don't know how harmful the mecury is in each bulb -- however what happens when millions of those bulbs in 10 years end up in landfills. The mercury could leach into the ground water. Who knows what other things the combined mercury load could do. I'm definitely not an alarmist, however I don't think the whole truth about these bulbs has been fully exposed and is probably not know at this extent.

[rustybronco]

1. haz-mat
2. the light output stinks compared to the equivalent incandescent bulb.
3. costs more to manufacture/purchase.
4. uses more raw materials.
5. higher trash load. (most of the incandescent bulb can be recycled)

Not to diminish the fact that the "recycling program" may consist of shipping them off to a third world country to be recycled (harvested for scrap) in someones yard!

use regular lights and turn them off when not in use or natural lighting.

[god0fgod]

LED lighting seems to be the way forward although they are expensive at the moment.

[Erdaron]

CFLs don't have a shorter lifespan than regular incandescent bulbs. Sure, if they are made poorly, but if you buy a brandname, like GE, they should last. In seven years of using them, I think I've had two burn out, and I'm pretty sure they were defective.

Newer CFLs also have lower levels of mercury, and event that is actually a very small amount (http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/recycle-cfls-460128). Recycling them is easy. Home Depot and IKEA stores collect old CFLs, as do many other local organizations.

As for their hue, they now make them in different "temperatures," which correspond to different hues. So you can buy CFLs that have a more natural yellow tint.

That said, solid-state lamps FTW! Even more energy-efficient, cooler-running, longer lifetime, and use no toxic materials.

[god0fgod]

LED lighting that can change colour is pretty cool.

[lukjad]

Good advice. I always broke my lightbulbs on purpose before. I'll stop now. :D

[lukjad]

its not that big of a problem. just dont break your lightbulb and dispose of it properly.
Good advice. I always broke my lightbulbs on purpose before. I'll stop now. :D

[kevdog]

Ive read CFL's can not be used with dimmer switches, nor can they placed upside down (such as in a ceiling light) since the heat should go toward the top of the bulb and not the base. Is this true?

[rustybronco]

nor can they placed upside down (such as in a ceiling light) since the heat should go toward the top of the bulb and not the base. Is this true?I have one in the kitchen that has been upside down for three years so far, four in the living room that are used in a horizontal position for a lot longer than that.
so in a real life situation... not true

[Dr Small]

Mercury threat? I sit around the supper table and listen to my parent's tell stories of when they used to play with mercury in class by splitting it on their desk with knives...

[Erdaron]

Ive read CFL's can not be used with dimmer switches, nor can they placed upside down (such as in a ceiling light) since the heat should go toward the top of the bulb and not the base. Is this true?

Similar to rustybronco, my experience has been that they don't care about orientation. It's probably more important that they are not in a sealed environment, I'd say.

As far as mercury, if you like seafood, you're probably getting your dose already. Especially if you eat farm-raised fish.

[kevdog]

Can anyone please tell me if they have a CFL not made in China?

[Whiffle]

Mercury threat? I sit around the supper table and listen to my parent's tell stories of when they used to play with mercury in class by splitting it on their desk with knives...

The term "mad hatter":


Mercury was used in the process of curing felt used in some hats. It was impossible for hatters to avoid inhaling the mercury fumes given off during the hat making process. Hatters and mill workers often suffered mercury poisoning as residual mercury vapor caused neurological damage including confused speech and distorted vision. It was not unusual then for hatters to appear disturbed or mentally confused, many died early as a result of mercury poisoning

Nasty stuff.


I throw my dead CFL's on the ground outside my apartment crush them with my bare feet.


:D

Actually I only have one, and its still working.

[macogw]

CFLs don't have a shorter lifespan than regular incandescent bulbs. Sure, if they are made poorly, but if you buy a brandname, like GE, they should last. In seven years of using them, I think I've had two burn out, and I'm pretty sure they were defective.
Yeah, the usual lifespan is supposed to be at least 5-7 years, isn't it? Incandescents need to be replaced yearly, in my experience.



As for their hue, they now make them in different "temperatures," which correspond to different hues. So you can buy CFLs that have a more natural yellow tint.
Er...? Someone said they have a blue tint, but the ones we have at my dad's house have always been plain old white.


That said, solid-state lamps FTW! Even more energy-efficient, cooler-running, longer lifetime, and use no toxic materials.
Splain?

[macogw]

As far as mercury, if you like seafood, you're probably getting your dose already. Especially if you eat farm-raised fish.

Vegetarianism, FTW!

And you have it backwards. Farm-raised are safe, but they're less nutritional because they don't have a wild diet. Wild have more nutrients due to their diet, but the really awful mercury pollution in the ocean makes them practically toxic.

[Whiffle]

Vegetarianism, FTW!

And you have it backwards. Farm-raised are safe, but they're less nutritional because they don't have a wild diet. Wild have more nutrients due to their diet, but the really awful mercury pollution in the ocean makes them practically toxic.


I do wonder how much of the toxic thing is just old wives tales. This article seems to suggest that its less of an issue than we may be making it out to be:

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/mercury.html


That said, I'd love to see the coal plants shut down and CFL's disposed of correctly.

[Kvark]

Here there is a can for light bulbs clearly visible at the same place you throw paper, glass, plastic, metal and batteries and the recycling howto they mail everyone every year says all light bulbs should go there. I doubt anyone missed it.

The mercury isn't nice, can't wait till LED lamps become cheap enough to replace fluorescent lamps.

[macogw]

I do wonder how much of the toxic thing is just old wives tales. This article seems to suggest that its less of an issue than we may be making it out to be:

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/reprints/mercury.html


That said, I'd love to see the coal plants shut down and CFL's disposed of correctly.

Depends on how your body handles it, I think. Autistic children often have the mercury (such as from getting shots) purged from their systems. I think either autism makes their tolerance lower or the mercury makes the autism worse. Someone I know told me her little brother gets stuff done to get the mercury out of his system because he's autistic.