Fluorescent
lamps save energy!!
Fluorescent
lighting is an excellent business and environmental choice
because it can reduce energy consumption by 50 percent and
lighting costs by 30-38 percent. Fluorescent lamps last, on an
average, ten times longer than conventional incandescent
lamps.
Fluorescent
lamps contain mercury, so recycle them.
Each
fluorescent lamp contains a small quantity of mercury.
However, with the large number of lamps in use, this adds up
to a significant amount that can be released into the
environment if lamps are not recycled properly. Mercury
can be toxic to humans and animals if inhaled, absorbed
through the skin, or consumed through foods we eat. Other
lamps that contain mercury include mercury vapor lamps, metal
halide lamps, high-pressure sodium lamps and neon lamps. All
of these should be recycled.
Frequently
Asked Questions
Does
my business need to recycle fluorescent lamps?
Fluorescent
lamps are classified as a universal hazardous waste and all
businesses should recycle them. If you are a small business
generating less than 220 lbs. of hazardous waste (including
fluorescent lamps and other mercury-containing wastes) and
less than 2.2 lbs. of acutely hazardous waste within any month
of a calendar year, then your business may qualify
as a Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Universal
Waste Generator (CESQUWG). (As an example, one box of 36
fluorescent lamps (four-foot long tubes) weighs about 24 lbs.)
CESQUWGs
are not subject to the same rules for training, accumulation,
and packaging of their hazardous waste that the larger
hazardous waste generators are. However, they do need to
follow the recycling and disposal requirements of the
universal hazardous waste rules in the State of California.
CESQUWGs can recycle their lamps at their local government
sponsored Hazardous Waste Recycling and Disposal Programs. Or,
they can choose to collect and ship the lamps to a lamp
recycling business (see attached list of California
recyclers).
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What
Should I Do with Used Fluorescent Lamps?
Before
you start to recycle your fluorescent lamps, make sure you and
your staff is aware of the regulations and best management
practices for handling and storing the wastes. If you are
unsure about what is required of you, contact the Santa Clara
County Hazardous Waste Recycling and Disposal Program at
(408) 299-7300 for information. Additional resources may
be found at the websites listed at the end of this article.
-
Storage
- Store used
fluorescent lamps for recycling in sturdy cardboard boxes
(e.g. the ones they were shipped in). If those boxes are
not available, some can be purchased from fluorescent lamp
recyclers. Store boxes or containers in a secure, dry
place.
-
Labeling
- Place
a label on the container with the date you started
collecting lamps in it and mark it with the words “Used
Lamps”, “Waste Lamps” or “Universal
Waste-lamps.”
-
Breakages
- If lamps are accidentally broken, clean them up
promptly. Wear protective plastic or latex gloves to avoid
touching the glass with your bare hands. Use pieces of
cardboard to push the glass into a pile and carefully pick
up the shards, placing them inside a heavy plastic bag
that is placed inside of box or in a rigid container that
can be sealed. Place a label on the container
indicating that broken lamps are inside. Do not mix
broken lamp debris in with the unbroken spent lamps you
are recycling; otherwise the recycler for handling the
wastes may charge you extra.
-
Recycling
- Used lamps should not be accumulated for more than one
year from the date you start collecting them until the
time you recycle them.
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Where
to recycle used fluorescent lamps:
-
Santa
Clara County businesses (except Palo Alto):
The Santa Clara County Hazardous Waste Recycling and
Disposal Program can take fluorescent lamps and other
types of hazardous waste from CESQUWGs. Businesses using
the service will be asked for a waste inventory and an EPA
ID number and will be given a drop-off appointment. For
information on how to obtain an EPA ID number visit www.DTSC.ca.gov
and look under Frequently Requested Information. A
temporary California ID number can be obtained by calling
1-800-618-6942. Businesses are charged disposal fees based
on waste type and quantity. Fees are collected at time of
drop-off. For more information call (408)
299-7300 or visit www.hhw.org.
-
Palo
Alto businesses: CESQUWGs located in Palo Alto and
its partner cities of East Palo Alto, Mountain View,
Stanford, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills can dispose of
their fluorescent lamps and hazardous waste at the Palo
Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant. Events are held
monthly and by appointment only. For more information
about Palo Alto’s hazardous waste program call (650)
496-6980 or visit http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/pwd/news/details.asp?
NewsID=352&TargetID=181
-
Recycling
Firms - Arrangements can also be made with a lamp
recycling business to accept the lamps and ship them to a
recycling business on your own. (See attached list of
local recyclers). Common transportation carriers
(e.g., UPS and FedEx) can pick up the lamps and transport
them to a recycler. Also, some recyclers can
schedule pick-ups from your business as a part of one of
their regular routes. Check with a recycler to find
out what their particular options and requirements are.
For a list of local recyclers click
here.
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How
else can you help reduce mercury pollution?
Buy
low-mercury fluorescent lamps
- Major lighting manufacturers now produce lamps with up to
80% less mercury than standard fluorescent lamps, such as
Philips “Alto”, GE “Ecolux” and Sylvania
“Ecologic”. However, none of these lamps are completely
mercury-free, so they need to be recycled.
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For
more information on mercury and mercury-containing products
visit:
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