Disposal of CFL lightbulb is NOT green?

Question

Like batteries, used CFLs need to be disposed at a toxic waste depot rather than tossed out with the ordinary household trash. Because mercury is cumulative, this poisonous element would add up if all spent bulbs went into a land fill."

In other words, environmentalists are likely to kill us all ....

Answer 1

Not as bad as you might think:
"CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 5 milligrams, which is roughly equivalent to an amount that would cover the tip of a ball-point pen. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury. It would take 100 CFLs to equal that amount.
Mercury currently is an essential component of CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. Many manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products. In fact, the average amount of mercury in a CFL is anticipated to drop by the end of 2007, thanks to technology advances and a commitment from the members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association."

And, actually, they are HELPING TO CUT DOWN mercury emissions overall:
"Utility power plants (mainly coal-fired) are the largest man-made source, because mercury that naturally exists in coal is released into the air when coal is burned to make electricity. Energy efficient CFLs present an opportunity to prevent mercury emissions from entering the environment because they help to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants. Coal-fired power generation accounts for roughly 40 percent of the mercury emissions in the U.S.
EPA is implementing policies to reduce airborne mercury emissions. Under regulations EPA issued in 2005, mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants will drop by nearly 70 percent by 2018."

Answer 2

A lot of local communities have household hazardous waste events or recycling and you can dispose of your CFL's that way.
The mercury in the bulbs is recycled.
The urban legend about somebody dropping a CFL bulb on their kitchen floor and having to pay $5000 for clean up is outrageous or else the person was completely taken advantage of.
At the maximum it should cost $500.00 and that's for labor, time, materials and taxes.

Answer 3

Hi,
I think that Yahzman's answer is good.

Another thing to consider is that if you replace a 100 watt incandescent bulb with a 25 watt CF, then over the 10000 hour life of the CF bulb, you will save 750 KWH of electricity. If you live in a area where coal plants supply your power (most of us in the US), then this 750 KWH that is not generated will save the emission of 1500 lbs of CO2.
Multiply that by several bulbs per household and a hundred million households and its a lot of CO2 I'd rather not see in the atmosphere.

The $75+ saving over the life of the bulb is also nice :)

The best solution is of course to use CF's and dispose of them properly.

Gary

Answer 4

Notice the key word in that statement. I'll put it in caps for you:

Because mercury is cumulative, this poisonous element would add up IF all spent bulbs went into a land fill."

CFLs are not supposed to go into landfills. They're supposed to be recycled

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

and as Yahzmin points out, CFLs can actually reduce mercury emissions, as you can see in this plot:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CFL_bulb_mercury_use_environment.svg

Answer 5

I can remember going to A&W and having them put a tray on my drivers side window. Never tried a Green River soft drink I remember those big rectangular floor ice chests and having to slide an Orancge Neho of Orange Crush or Creme Soda. They taste so much better from the bottles.

Answer 6

I`ve noticed that Anti-Environmentalists are using this imaginary topic quite a bit-but they don`t seem to equate the Mercury that coal-fired power plants put into the Air, which then goes in the Sea, WHICH THEN GOES IN THE FISH!

Maybe THEY are trying to kill us all!-Anti-Earth Scum!

Answer 7

Now it is simple and convenient to “close the loop” and protect the environmental on both ends of the light bulb! Visit http://www.recycleyourcfl.com

Answer 8

But burning incandescent bulbs creates more mercury from the fossil fuels burned.

How is that better?

Answer 9

well these light bulbs have a lot less mercury so unless 100,000 were tossed out every minute it won't kill us

Answer 10

Having read all the responses to your 'question' I think you're wrong in saying "In other words, environmentalists are likely to kill us all ...."

If you'd said stupid people will kill us all, then I'd agree.