Proper light bulb disposal important for the environment
8:39 p.m. Thursday, March 27, 2008
Being green and staying green, it's not as easy as you think. And when it comes to compact florescent light bulbs, buying them and installing them is only the first step.
75% more efficient, these compact florescent bulbs are popping up in homes across the nation.
Mathew Memmer, territory manager of Waste Management of Kansas, said, "I have them all throughout my house. The backside to it is they break. Mercury goes up in the atmosphere and can also contaminate things.
Each bulb has 5 milligrams of mercury in it, an element that can't be replaced by something less toxic.
Steve Bolton, Dir of recycling, Shawnee county
"I'm sure there's a lot of people out there that don't even think about it," Shawnee County director of Recycling Steve Bolton said. "Just see it and throw it."
In Kansas, it's legal to throw the sealed bulb in the trash, which ultimately ends up here in the landfill. But officials are trying to get the word out that these bulbs can and should be recycled. Bags and boxes are available in Topeka at Waste Management and online at lamptracker.com.
"We don't want those things in the ground. This is a safe, secure way to recycle those bulbs," Bolton said.
The mercury in the bulbs is a trace amount, but if they do break, you want to follow these steps in cleaning it up.
Joe blubaugh: director of comm. For kdhe
"Let that room air out, settle down for about 15 minutes," the KDHE's director of communications Joe Blubaugh said. "Open a window, let it vent a little bit. Shut off the forced air or central air system."
Then gather the broken pieces and dispose of them in a sealed container.
You can also take your cfl's to Shawnee County Household Hazardous Waste the first Saturday of the month and they are accepted there.
Find out more about proper disposal of cfl's at the Environmental Protection Agency Web site.
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