Why the EPA, DOE and others are promoting the use of CFLs

CFL

CFLs use significantly less energy than traditional light bulbs (75% less). If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that of 800,000 cars. And even though CFLs contain a small amount of mercury that could ultimately end up in the environment, that amount is significantly less than the amount of mercury avoided as a result of the energy savings.

The Facts about CFLs and Mercury

• Mercury is an essential element in the operation of fluorescent lighting; it allows the bulbs to be an efficient light source. Because CFLs contain trace amounts of mercury, it is important to educate yourself on proper use, recycling and disposal of these products.
• Because CFLs use less electricity than traditional light bulbs, they reduce demand for electricity; that reduction means less mercury is emitted from power plants.
• CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury – an average of 4 milligrams in each bulb.
• No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use.

When your bulb burns out please recycle it…places like Home Depot have a box, typically near customer service, in which to recycle it.

How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb?
Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:
1. Before Clean-up: 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.
2. Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces
•Carefully scoop up glass fragments 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 pieces 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.
3. Clean-up 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.
4. Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding, etc.:
•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 contact 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.
5. Disposal of Clean-up 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.
6. 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.

This was all taken from Energy Star, so for more information about compact fluorescent bulbs, visit http://www.energystar.gov/cfls
For more information about compact fluorescent bulbs and mercury, visit http://www.energystar.gov/mercury