Green Lightbulbs Creating Problems
Earlier in the month, I wrote a post about e-waste recycling. One part of the story that will only increase over time is disposal of fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). As these bulbs contain a small amount of mercury (hazardous to human health and the environment), they have to be properly recycled and should not be thrown away.
An article in Wall Street Journal this week details some of the questions and pitfalls of recycling CFL bulbs, in addition to major e-waste items such as televisions and computers.
The main points from “The Dark Side Of ‘Green’ Bulbs”:
1. CFL Bulbs help dramatically save energy costs, which is great… until you try to dispose of them.
2. Average consumers don’t know how to effectively recycle. Many cities and towns don’t have recycling programs for the bulbs, and consumers aren’t sure what to do with them.
3. If thrown away, these bulbs can leech toxic elements into the ground. Considering that throwing them away is illegal in most states (California included), it would make sense that clear recycling paths would made available. Think again.
Even the US Department of Energy is unsure of what to do with all of the bulbs:
The Department of Energy, which encourages consumers to purchase the energy-saving bulbs, acknowledges they can be “cumbersome to recycle and dispose of,” but says the agency is working to increase the availability of options. The agency also says that coal-fired power plants are the greatest source of environmental mercury — U.S. power plants emitted 50 tons of mercury in 2006 — and using compact fluorescent bulbs cuts down on the amount of coal burned to make electricity.
Outcomes:
1. There need to be easier, more visible recycling options for all consumers.
2. Better education for consumers: government, product-labelling, corporate responsibility
What we can do now:
1. Research local recycling options through ban.org.
2. Visit the EPA website to search for local CFL bulb recycling options.
3. Recycle through the manufacturer: contact them directly to assist with this.
