Congress is considering legislation to phase out incandescent light bulbs and replace them with compact fluorescent ones, or CFLs. Australia has already adopted a ban on incandescents and will phase them out by 2010. The phase-out in the U.S. would begin in 2012 and wouldn’t be complete until 2014. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, this ban will save consumers $40 billion in energy costs from 2012 to 2030, avoid construction of 14 coal-fired power plants, and cut carbon emissions by 51 million tons each year!
You’re probably already aware that CFLs contain small amounts of mercury. This means that you should never dispose of them in the trash. They need to be taken somewhere to be recycled. This site from the EPA can suggest where to take your burnt out CFLs. In my city, some hardware stores will take them for recycling. We can also call Waste Management and schedule a pickup of hazardous waste. If you break a CFL, don’t use the vacuum. Ventilate the area by opening as many windows as possible, clean up the spill with things you can dispose of (paper towels or a piece of cardboard, not your broom), and place everything in a ziplock bag. Then look into recycling it.
