CFL Bulb Recycling

One of the green team's resolutions for this year is to raise awareness and educate our staff about different topics related to sustainability. The way we've been doing this is in monthly presentations at the all-staff meetings. The topic for our July meeting is CFL bulb recycling. We will begin collecting bulbs once a month on the day of the staff meetings to help more bulbs to make it into the recycling rather than the trash. One of our staff members will then take those bulbs to the Bainbridge Island transfer station for recycling. We will only be collecting the bulbs once a month rather than having an ongoing collection because of the danger of the bulbs breaking.

The main reason it is important to recycle CFL bulbs is that they contain a small amount of mercury (much less than a thermometer). If the bulbs are placed in the trash, they can break and that mercury gets released into the environment. This can be harmful to trash collectors as well as the general public. The mercury can get into water sources and soil where it bio-accumulates in animals that we eat.

What happens to the mercury at the recycling center? One recycler in Washington state is Eco Lights Northwest. They have a great image and description of the recycling process for the bulbs, explaining how they reclaim the mercury. Check it out here: http://www.ecolights.com/whyrecycle.html

If you break a CFL bulb, go to the EPA website to learn the best way to handle the waste: http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html