CFL Information and FAQs

Compact fluorescent light bulbs save energy and money but do contain a very small amount of mercury. Care must be taken when handling, cleaning up, or disposing of CFLs.

The following FAQs contain information from EnergyStar.gov and EPA.gov:

How much energy and/or money do CFLs save?

What about the mercury in CFLs?

Why use CFLs if they contain mercury?

How should I dispose of a CFL?

How and where can I recycle a CFL?

How should I cleanup a broken CFL?

How much energy and/or money do CFLs save?

A 23 Watt CFL is equivalent in light output to a 100 Watt incandescent bulb and lasts much longer - up to 9 years. If you replaced five 100 Watt incandescent bulbs with CFLs, you could save over $50 a year on your electric usage. For more details, view the Lighting Calculator or the CFL Evaluator.

According to EnergyStar.gov, an ENERGY STAR Qualified Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL):

can save more than $40 in electricity costs over its lifetime
uses about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and lasts up to 10 times longer
produces about 75% less heat, so it's safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling

Earning the ENERGY STAR means products meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Lighting products that have earned the ENERGY STAR deliver exceptional features, while using less energy. Saving energy helps you save money on utility bills and protect the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the fight against climate change.

What about the mercury in CFLs?

According to EPA.gov, using CFLs reduces the amount of mercury released into the environment.

Mercury is found in many rocks including coal. When coal is burned at a utility power plant to produce electricity, mercury is released into the environment.
Coal-burning power plants are the largest man-made source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States, accounting for about half of all domestic human-caused mercury emissions (source: 2005 National Emissions Inventory).
Using energy-efficient CFLs reduces demand for power, which in turn reduces the amount of mercury released into the environment by coal-burning power plants.

CFLs contain very small amounts of mercury.

Mercury is an essential part of CFLs; it allows the bulb to be an efficient light source.
On average, CFLs contain about four milligrams of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 milligrams of mercury – an amount equal to the mercury in over 100 CFLs.
Manufacturers of fluorescent lighting products are working to reduce the amount of mercury content in CFLs.
No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact (i.e., not broken) or in use, but CFLs release mercury vapor when broken.

Why use CFLs if they contain mercury?

Small amounts of mercury can be released into the environment when CFLs break, or if they are improperly disposed of at the end of their useful lives. The total amount of mercury that could be released into the environment through breakage and improper disposal, however, is small compared to the amount of mercury that doesn't get released into the environment because Americans are choosing energy-efficient CFLs, reducing demand for electricity. (from EPA.gov)

How should I dispose of a CFL?

CFLs must be recycled.

Recycling prevents the release of mercury into the environment. CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs often break when thrown into a dumpster, trash can or compactor, or when they end up in a landfill or incinerator.
Other materials in the bulbs get reused. Recycling CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs allows the reuse of the glass, metals and other materials that make up fluorescent lights. Virtually all components of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled. (from EPA.gov)

How and where can I recycle a CFL?

Bring your bulbs to the Tipmont office in Linden - we provide a CFL recycling center in the lobby
Pick up a Recycle Pak at the Tipmont office in Linden - use this to mail your bulbs from home directly to the recycle center
Check www.RecycleABulb.com or www.Earth911.com - many local retailers such as Home Depot provide recycling

How should I cleanup a broken CFL? (View a PDF of the following guidelines)

Fluorescent light bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. EPA.gov recommends the following clean-up and disposal steps:

Before Cleanup: Air Out the Room

Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.
Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.

Cleanup Steps for Hard Surfaces

Carefully scoop up glass pieces and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.
Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

Cleanup Steps for Carpeting or Rug

Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.

Cleanup Steps for Clothing, Bedding and Other Soft Materials

If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.
You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct con tact with the materials from the broken bulb.
If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.

Disposal of Cleanup Materials

Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.
Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.
Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.
Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.