WhY is it iMportaNt to recYcle?

Because mercury is a necessary component in all compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), including ENERGY STAR™ qualified light bulbs, the lamps should be handled responsibly and be recycled. Information about recycling can be found at the following websites:

n www.earth911.org n www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling n www.lamprecycle.org n http://www.exeloncorp.com/ComedCare_

Main/ComedCare/act/RecycleCFL/

Where caN i recYcle a cFl iN chicago?

1. You can take used CFLs to the household chemicals and computer recycling Facility located at 1150 N. North Branch.

2. You can also take them to any home depot. Visit www.homedepot.com to find a store near you.

household chemicals and computer recycling Facility:

1150 N. North Branch St.Tuesdays: 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.Thursdays: 2:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

1st Saturday of the Month: 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

What should i do iF a coMpact FluoresceNt light

bulb (cFl) breaKs?

Please take the following steps if a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) breaks:

1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

2. Scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a tightly sealed container, such as a glass jar. If available, use disposable rubber gloves. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels and place them in the sealed container. Do not use a vacuum or broom on hard surfaces.

3. Take broken and unbroken lamps to a local recycling center. Wash your hands after performing cleanup and disposing of the sealed container.

4. If a CFL breaks on a rug or carpet: Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner. Sticky tape (like duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum and remove the vacuum bag and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash.

Remember: CFLs have very small amounts of mercury, but it is always best to take

precautions when they break.

What You Need to KNoW about MercurY iN coMpact FluoresceNt light bulbs (cFls)

Richard M. Daley Mayor

Because CFLsand landfill traditional in

CFLs are mapackaging, innever forcefully recommendat

What EPA recommelight bulbs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org to identify local recycling options.

If your state or local environmental regulatory agency permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. Never send a fluorescent light bulb or any other mercury-containing product to an incinerator.

If your ENERGY STAR qualified CFL product burns out before it should, look at the CFL base to find the manufacturer’s name. Visit the manufacturer’s web site to find the customer service contact information to inquire about a refund or replacement. Manufacturers producing ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs are required to offer at least a two-year limited warranty (covering manufacturer defects) for CFLs used at home. In the future, save your receipts to document the date of purchase.

13watt CFL

↓

WhY use aN eNergY star™ QualiFied coMpact FluoresceNt light bulb?

n CFLs use up to 75% less electricity n CFLs last up to 10 times longer n CFLs produce 75% less heat, reducing

home cooling demands, resulting in higher energy savings.

While ENERGY STAR™ qualified light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, their use creates a net reduction of mercury emissions to our environment, as compared to using incandescent lighting. Since they use less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs, less power from coal-fired plants is required, resulting in reduced mercury emissions, as shown below:

A qualified 13-watt CFL produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt incandescent bulb.

Figure 1

Total Mercury Emissions, CFLs and Incandescent

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

60 watt Incandescent

Mill

igra

ms

of M

ercu

ry

Landfilling

Power Plant Emissions

also help to reduce greenhouse gasses, other pollutants associated with electricity production, waste (because the bulbs last longer), they are clearly the environmental winner when compared to candescent light bulbs.

What precautions should I take when using CFLs in my home? de of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the bulb from its

13 watt cFl

What is MercurY? Mercury is an element (Hg on the periodic table) found naturally in the environment, including the air, soil and water.

Where caN MercurY be FouNd iN the eNviroNMeNt? Mercury is found in many rocks including coal. When coal is burned, mercury is released into the environment. Coal-burning power plants are the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States, accounting for over 40 percent of all domestic human-caused mercury emissions. Mercury in the air eventually settles into water where it can transform into methyl mercury and build up in fish.

The amount of mercury in a CFL bulb is less than 5 milligrams and in size is significantly smaller than a dime.

5 mg

In addition, compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) manufacturers continue to find ways to reduce the amount of mercury in the bulbs.

stalling it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the light bulb by its base (not the glass), and twist the CFL into a light socket. If a CFL breaks in your home, follow the clean-up

ions below. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly (see below).

should I do with a CFL when it burns out? nds that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent

Where caN MercurY be FouNd iN the hoMe?

Mercury is used in products because of its excellent conductivity. See the table below for a list of products in the home which contain mercury.

product average aMouNt

oF MercurY

Most compact fluorescent light bulbs (cFls), including eNergY STAR qualified light bulbs

button cell batteries used in watches, hearing aids, some toys and calculators

street lighting

Fever thermometer

old-style residential thermostats

blood pressure monitors

barometers

less than 5 mg

9 mg

30 mg

1,000 mg

4,500 mg

110,000 mg

500,000 mg