What to do with old flourescent bulbs?

Rich

Rich

Asshole at large
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Location
Central PA
I replaced 4 8' tubes in my garage this weekend, and I don't want to just stick 'em out on the curb, but the lamprecycle.org website is a POS and doesn't give me any real info.

Breaking them is fun and all, but I'd rather not clean up the mess..
 
you got the huge by large garbage can most trash companies issue ?

stick them in there, close the lid, take your lawn rake and break 'em in the can

trying to find a place to dispose of them is a pain, and getting them there in one piece isn't always easy.

I don't like it, but thats how I did it a few months ago when I replaced the lights in the shack.
 
1. Put on gloves
2. open trash can
3. hold bulb in left hand over trash can (or right hand if your a lefty)
4. hit bottom with hammer or other suitable metal object
5. work your way up til whats left in you hand will fit in can
6. repeat
7. close lid
 
from GE:

6. How should I dispose of fluorescent lamps?

Please refer to our state disposal policies page. In most states, fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs used at home can be disposed of in the same way as regular light bulbs. While all fluorescent bulbs contain a trace amount of mercury, the quantity is so minute that disposal is not regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.

However, if you are disposing many fluorescent lamps you should know that because they contain mercury they are classified as hazardous waste unless:

1. You, as the end-user, generate less than 100kg of hazardous waste per month (approx. 360 4' T12 lamps)

OR

2. The lamps pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) Test.

If the lamps meet these criteria and your state's regulation on TCLP is not stricter than the EPA's regulation, the lamps can be disposed in the same way as normal waste. However, if the lamps do not meet the criteria to be classified as normal waste, they will need to be either recycled by a lamp recycler or disposed under the hazardous waste guidelines of your state.

GE Ecolux® lamps pass federal TCLP regulations and therefore, by federal standards, are not considered hazardous waste. However, you should check with your state regulations to determine if they are stricter than the federal regulations. Other non-Ecolux lamps are not consistently TCLP-compliant.

Look for Ecolux lamps in the fluorescent section of our product catalog.
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That's what I do, stick them in the trash and break them, going to be hard to do with 8' bulbs though.
 
Rob said:
That's what I do, stick them in the trash and break them, going to be hard to do with 8' bulbs though.
Click to expand...

It just took longer...
 
Trick from work.
Get a box long enough to stuff them down in without breaking them. Then duct tape the end on. Proceed to kick or knock over violently. They explode and sound like a gun going on. Then you can trample them and fold the box up and put them in the trash can.
 
supraman1990 said:
Trick from work.
Get a box long enough to stuff them down in without breaking them. Then duct tape the end on. Proceed to kick or knock over violently. They explode and sound like a gun going on. Then you can trample them and fold the box up and put them in the trash can.
Click to expand...

How many 8+ foot long boxes do you have laying around?
 
Well, these bulbs have lasted since 2002, and I only have 6 of 'em total, so those boxes are non-existant around the house.. :p
 
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