CFLs and other mercury lamps

CFL disposal was brought up in another forum, so I wanted to start one to tell you all that while CFLs should be disposed of properly, they are still beneficial to use.:cool:

:D:cool:Check out this article which includes links to places that will accept broken and unbroken lamps: http://ucsustainability.blogspot.com...and-clean.html

For those unfamiliar: Compact Fluorescent Lamps are those cool new light bulbs that use tons less energy and last years longer than conventional bulbs.:cool: However, they do have small amounts of mercury in them, so when broken, they can can be dangerous especially for small children and pregnant women.:( So try not to break them. :rolleyes:;)

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Originally Posted by Medawisla

:D:cool:Check out this article which includes links to places that will accept broken and unbroken lamps:

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If they are broken isn't the damage already done by the elimination of the mercury? :confused:

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Originally Posted by Haffy

If they are broken isn't the damage already done by the elimination of the mercury? :confused:

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actually you can buy mercury spill kits to clean up the mess, i have to carry a kit on my van for just such an occasion. (personally i think they're a waste of time because theres not telling how far away the stuff could travel when it falls to the ground...) :D

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Originally Posted by Haffy

If they are broken isn't the damage already done by the elimination of the mercury? :confused:

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I'm not sure what you mean...:confused:
When the bulb is broken, yes, some mercury is released. That's why you should open windows and leave the room for 15 minutes, but a lot of the mercury remains in the dust that is on the broken pieces and surface it broke on, so that's why there's a link in the article on how to clean up a broken bulb. Leaving it is not good, especially if there's a child who'll be agitating the carpet by playing or crawling. More dust will kick up and breathed. That's why vacuuming is worse; it agitates the carpet and kicks up the dust. So check out the links on how to clean it up. It's actually a lot of common sense, like using a wet rag to dab up the dust and tiny pieces, using a glass sealable container to prevent vapors from escaping, generally allowing the room to ventilate.

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Originally Posted by Hiram357

actually you can buy mercury spill kits to clean up the mess, i have to carry a kit on my van for just such an occasion. (personally i think they're a waste of time because theres not telling how far away the stuff could travel when it falls to the ground...) :D

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Read the study that was linked in the article there...the mercury doesn't spread in solid form very far at all, just as far as the glass pieces do.

Thanks Steph on the heads up. I am more concerned about lead paint in older housing than the chance I would break a CFL.

Lead paint is deteriorating at a rapid rate.:eek: It is just in so many older places ~ and ~ so many things which come from China! Children's toys included!!! A geocoin isn't going into Amara's hands until she is at least over 5!;) I bet those babies are loaded with lead.

All kidding aside ~ lead paint is in a lot of older housing, on boats and in automotive paint.:( It is the real deal and as dangerous as mercury with young children. Google lead paint for some good links to get information.

Steph - thanks for keeping us all environmentally sharp! Ah, sharps in the waste stream - now that could be another topic.:)

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Originally Posted by Medawisla

Read the study that was linked in the article there...the mercury doesn't spread in solid form very far at all, just as far as the glass pieces do.

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Steph I just love the fact that you respond to Aaron in the thread. Must be easier then trying to get through to him while he's playing video games.:D:D:D

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Originally Posted by vicbiker

Steph I just love the fact that you respond to Aaron in the thread. Must be easier then trying to get through to him while he's playing video games.:D:D:D

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No comment *halo*grin*

to discuss light bulbs...:p
I remember that thread!;) ...so Mainiac are you impressed I used the word "lamps"?:D:p

When I was a kid I had a bottle of mercury! My friends and I used to play with it. We'd coat pennies with it. Pour it in a dish and float coins on it. Roll balls of it across the kitchen table etc. I had Mercury dust balls under my bed! Here I am 50 years later! Sad thing is; thats probably not the stupidest thing I did when I was a kid, either. I won't get into it; my grandkids might be reading this!

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Originally Posted by Mapachi

When I was a kid I had a bottle of mercury! My friends and I used to play with it. We'd coat pennies with it. Pour it in a dish and float coins on it. Roll balls of it across the kitchen table etc. I had Mercury dust balls under my bed! Here I am 50 years later! Sad thing is; thats probably not the stupidest thing I did when I was a kid, either. I won't get into it; my grandkids might be reading this!

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I know just what you mean...we had a bottle of mercury in the high school lab...we were always fascinated by all the neat things you could do with the stuff...I don't seem to have any side affects....well maybe a few:D:D:D:D

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Originally Posted by vicbiker

Steph I just love the fact that you respond to Aaron in the thread. Must be easier then trying to get through to him while he's playing video games.:D:D:D

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I'm always so busy doing dishes... and i can never hear what she's sayin over the vaccuum.... :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by vicbiker

I know just what you mean...we had a bottle of mercury in the high school lab...we were always fascinated by all the neat things you could do with the stuff...I don't seem to have any side affects....well maybe a few:D:D:D:D

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heh... no comment

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Originally Posted by Medawisla

to discuss light bulbs...:p
I remember that thread!;) ...so Mainiac are you impressed I used the word "lamps"?:D:p

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Yes I am Stef. Most non electricians just refer to them as lightbulbs. Which is of course fine.

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Originally Posted by Mainiac1957

Yes I am Stef. Most non electricians just refer to them as lightbulbs. Which is of course fine.

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no no no... if you call them lamps, cfls, flourecent bulbs, or tubs, you can't throw them in the dumpster! I call em hotdogs. :D:rolleyes:

*side note* in no way shape or form do i condone dumping bulbs in the dumpster. this was just a joke. i pile them up in the back of my work van and drive around until they break so they fit into smaller boxes for recycling.

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Originally Posted by vicbiker

I know just what you mean...we had a bottle of mercury in the high school lab...we were always fascinated by all the neat things you could do with the stuff...I don't seem to have any side affects....well maybe a few:D:D:D:D

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Back in the "days of old", when dimes were made of silver, we were always rubbing mercury on them because they made them SOOOOO shiny! (Wonder how many people we poisoned with those mercury covered dimes? LOL!)

And sheesh! It almost costs more to dispose of a fluorescent lamp now than it did to purchase it!

and who can forget the dimes with the portrait of mercury on them...1900-20's? :D

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

And sheesh! It almost costs more to dispose of a fluorescent lamp now than it did to purchase it!

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If I buy a box of bulbs for a store, it'll cost about $30, when I go to recycle those bulbs it'll cost about $45, I usually wait till i have a pretty good stockpile of bulbs before I recycle them, they don't charge you by the number of bulbs youre recycling, they charge you by the length of the bulb...

personaly I think if a company is going to manufacture something that requires special disposal, they should cover the cost of that disposal, and a convienent way to do so. Otherwise, invent something that isn't such a PITA! :)

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Originally Posted by Hiram357

If I buy a box of bulbs for a store, it'll cost about $30, when I go to recycle those bulbs it'll cost about $45, I usually wait till i have a pretty good stockpile of bulbs before I recycle them, they don't charge you by the number of bulbs youre recycling, they charge you by the length of the bulb...

personaly I think if a company is going to manufacture something that requires special disposal, they should cover the cost of that disposal, and a convienent way to do so. Otherwise, invent something that isn't such a PITA! :)

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Yep, It currently costs me $.12 a foot to recycle fluorescent tubes and $1.00 for HID lamps

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Originally Posted by Mainiac1957

Yep, It currently costs me $.12 a foot to recycle fluorescent tubes and $1.00 for HID lamps

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It costs $.25 a foot for tubes at our transfer station, and they're just passing on the cost charged by the aggregator.

I had a friend whose car was ruined when it plunged off a dock into the ocean. There was no chance to revive it. It was determined his Mercury was full of tuna.

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Originally Posted by brdad

I had a friend whose car was ruined when it plunged off a dock into the ocean. There was no chance to revive it. It was determined his Mercury was full of tuna.

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lol... boo... :p where's the off topic and bad pun police when ya need em! :D:D