Tips on Recycling Light Bulbs

Before you run out to recycle your light bulbs (or “lamps”), or replace your old incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs), read our helpful hints and considerations for doing it right:

Reduce

Turning incandescent lamps on and off when you leave and enter a room will save you energy and money. Feel free to switch away! Also, installing dimmers can extend lamp life, reduce energy consumption and set a romantic mood. Don’t limit yourself to an “all-or-nothing” mindset when it comes to the lamps in your home or office.

State of the Lamp

Educate yourself on recycling legislation in your state, as some mandate recycling for certain types of lamps. Some governments are even enacting legislation to prohibit the manufacturing of incandescent lamps, to encourage purchasing more energy-efficient and longer lasting lamps.

Change Up

You aren’t limited to incandescent lamps and CFLs. LEDs are another energy-efficient alternative to other lamp styles. While considerably more expensive (as much as $40.00 per lamp), LEDs can last 10 times longer than CFLs (translation: about 60,000 hours), contain no mercury and easily can pay for themselves in energy savings over their lifetime. Consider installing these, especially in hard-to-reach places where changing the light is troublesome or occurs often.

Easy Tiger

While you may be jumping out of your chair at this very moment to go buy more energy efficient lamps, consider the waste you will create when you throw out all of your current lamps. If they aren’t spent, don’t trash them. Donate them or put the replacement on deck in the closet for when the old one expires.

Box It

When you are ready to recycle your used lamps:

• Be sure to carefully package them to ensure that they do not break in transport. This could release dangerous toxins such as mercury.
• An easy way to prepare used lamps for recycling is to box them up in the packaging from your new lamps.
• Store your old lamps until you can locate an appropriate place to recycle them.
• To find out where you can recycle or properly dispose of light bulbs in your area, use Earth911.