has a household hazardous waste recycling facility that accepts used CFLs.

The bulbs should be placed in a clear
plastic bag and disposed of just like
batteries, paint or motor oil at a household hazardous waste
collection site. To find out about collection dates, locations, and
other information for your county, visit the NJ Association of Household Hazardous Waste Coordinators at
www.njhazwaste.com/index.htm.
If it isn’t possible to recycle your used CFLs, you can dispose of
them along with your regular trash after sealing each bulb in two plastic bags. Don’t dispose of CFLs in
an incinerator.

one fourth the energy and produce 90 percent less heat compared with traditional incandescent bulbs. And since they last up to 10 times longer than oldfashioned light bulbs, the CFLs you have purchased over the last few years probably have not burned out yet.

But what do you do with them when
they do reach the end of their lives?

Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury they should be
disposed of properly. The US Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) recommends taking advantage of available local recycling options, but currently, most New Jersey communities don’t yet have
collection sites for CFLs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers
and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. For example, IKEA stores in New Jersey accept used CFLs

Switching to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs is a very bright idea. They use about

in addition to batteries and other toxic
household items. And each NJ county also

Disposal Guidelines

For accidentally broken CFLs, EPA
recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:

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


• Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and seal them in a plastic bag.


• Use disposable rubber gloves, not bare hands to wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in a second plastic bag along with the first bag containing the bulb fragments and any other cleanup materials.


• Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.


• Put the bag in an outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal. Top

If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet,

• First, remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be
  used to pick up small pieces 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 two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal. Top

For more information about disposing of CFLs, go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling

THE HOME DEPOT LAUNCHES NATIONAL CFL BULB RECYCLING INITIATIVE
Also Implementing In Store Energy Conservation Program
ATLANTA, June 24, 2008 – The Home Depot®, the world's largest home improvement retailer, today expanded its long-term commitment to the environment and sustainability by launching a national in-store,
consumer compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb recycling program at all 1,973 The Home Depot locations. This free service is the first such offering made so widely available by a retailer in the United States
and offers customers additional options for making environmentally conscious decisions from purchase to disposal. Top

The Home Depot Canada launched a CFL recycling program in November, 2007. At each The Home Depot store, customers can simply bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, and give them to the store associate
behind the returns desk. The bulbs will then be managed responsibly by an environmental management company who will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure
environmental compliance. Further Details