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Re: cfc bulbs and disposal

Re: cfc bulbs and disposal

Submitted by ctyankee on Sat, 07/19/2008 - 13:49.

Several of the big-box home improvement stores will accept the CFL's back as a service.

For *many* years users of fluorescent tubes have been buying machines that 'recycle' tubes.  The machine is a grinder/vacuum cleaner that sits on top of a 55 gallon drum.  The tube goes in and is smashed-up.. The vacuum discharges thru a HEPA filter with a Hg trap (activated carbon adsorption).

Each drum holds several hundred tubes.  The company must then pay to have the drum of broken glass properly disposed of at a not too insignificant cost.  This has been going on for about 2 decades...  Most folks are still blissfully unaware.

As a homeowner or renter you can just drop them in the garbage.  The amount of Hg in each CFL is not a big deal given how few folks are actually using the things.

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cfc bulbs and disposal By: slwigs (4 replies) Sat, 07/19/2008 - 13:21