CFL Recycling
Excited about getting energy-efficient lighting into your home, but not sure what to do with those compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs once they're spent?
Like other household hazardous waste (for example, batteries or paint cans) you can't just throw a used up CFL bulb in the regular garbage. CFL bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and therefore need to be disposed of properly. The good thing is that because they last 7 times longer than regular bulbs, you won't have to dispose of them very often!
If there's a Home Depot store in your city or town, you can simply drop your used CFL bulbs off at the store for safe recycling, free of charge. You can place them in a container on route to prevent them from breaking.
Project Porchlight is working with local governments, community organizations and commercial partners to develop recycling and disposal options for used CFL bulbs. Contact your municipality for options where you live - if there are none, demand one! Your elected government officials need to know that you are concerned about safe disposal of CFL bulbs.
Below you will see a partial list of recycling and disposal depots and resources to help you find the closest location to you. If you know of an option that should be listed here, please contact us with the details so that we can add it.
Broken Bulb?
If a bulb breaks you should take precautions when cleaning it up. For more information on what to do if a CFL breaks you can visit the EPA's website.
Recycling and disposal depots
All Across North America
- Any Home Depot store across North America (1,973 locations).
- IKEA stores across North America.
- EARTH 911 features a great utility for finding CFL bulb recycling centres across America.
- Lamp Recycle is a resource for any light bulb user seeking details on recycling spent mercury-containing lamps, and a whole lot more.
United States
- Recycle a Bulb - An excellent resource for US citizens looking to recycle their CFL bulbs.
Puget Sound
- Visit PSE.com for information on CFL recycling, including a complete list of recycling locations in the State of Washington, or call a Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Energy Advisor at 1-800-562-1482, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Puget Sound Energy office locations, participating community centers and city halls, Bartell Drugs, McLendon Hardware and of course Home Depot, and IKEA.
Vermont
- In Vermont, there are lots of places to recycle bulbs. Find out what's nearest you at: New Bulb in Town.
Canada
- Rona home stores across Canada.
Alberta
- Proeco Corporation
7722 - 9th Street, Edmonton Alberta, T6P 1L6
Phone: 800-661-5792 or 780-440-1825, fax: (780) 440-2428 - Environmental Lamp Disposal
15003 - 54A Street, Edmonton Alberta, T5A 2M8
Phone: 780-456-1417, fax: 780-456-1467
Email: envirolamp@interbaun.com
Contact: Terry & Kimberly Scheiris
British Columbia
- List of CFL recycling locations in British Columbia.
- Recycling Council of British Columbia - search for locations to recycle CFL bulbs and other products across BC.
- Nu Life Industries Inc.
#1, 3347 - 262nd Street, Aldergrove British Columbia, V4W 3V9
Phone: 800-247-6724 or 604-857-5588, fax: 604-857-5775
Email: info@nulife-ind.com
Contact: Tom Harris
Ontario
- Fluorescent Lamp Recyclers Technologies (FLR) Inc.
75 Wanless Court, Ayr Ontario, N0B 1E0
Phone: 800-324-9018 or 519-740-3334 , fax: 519-740-2320
Email: flr2@contech.ca
Contact: Tom Maxwell
Saskatchewan
- K-light Recycling 1665 St. John St. Regina, Saskatchewan, recycles a wide variety of lighting products including CFLs
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