One of the most visible representations of our society’s “going green” is the Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb, or CFL. Those are the curly-shaped lightbulbs, if you didn’t know the phrase.
I just wanted to put out a call to everyone to treat these carefully. They are wonderful products, but they do contain a small amount of mercury, one of the more toxic heavy metals.
Once they burn out, please dispose of them properly. How?
1. Handle With Care. Once broken, the mercury is free to enter the environment. So, don’t do that.
2. Take them to a place specifically designed to recycle them. All Home Depot stores are equipped with a special container and procedure for recycling CFLs, and the Depot does not charge for this service. I give them huge props for doing this.
3. If a CFL breaks, do your best to clean the site thoroughly. The US EPA has a nice fact sheet with details and precautions.
The bottom line is, Handle With Care.
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