<p>but the bigger oops is that we used a broom to sweep it up. Apparently, because it’s fluorescent, we were supposed to use tape to pick up all the pieces. Now we have to throw the broom away. We also probably tracked mercury throughout the house, as we didn’t wash out shoes after cleaning up. We did turn off our central air, opened up all the doors and windows, and are using a fan to ventilate the area. This is a lot of work!</p>
<p>I do not like the new CFLs and will continue to use incadescents as long as I can get my hands on them. Disposing of the CFLs is inconvenient, especially if your local recycling program only offers a yearly household hazardous waste event. I have always been a big recyclyer, even driving 15+ miles twice a month to a recycling company before recycling became big around here. I just am having a difficult time getting behind this particular product.</p>
<p>What’s done is done. At least you knew enough to air out the house, etc. There are many people who think that breaking a CFL is the same as any other light.</p>
<p>I may be wrong, but I was told by a US manufacturer of light bulbs that the new light bulbs are only made over seas. It’s interesting our government supports the use of them - when they are only manufactured by foreign companies. If what he told me is true</p>
<p>That’s what I hate about those CFLs. Yes, they save you energy, but they’re freaking toxic. Not everyone disposes of them properly or has access to the proper disposal facilities. You’re essentially trading off saving a little bit of money for a potential medical disaster waiting to happen.</p>
<p>The head of our American Jobs Council is the CEO of General Electric. (a company that has more employees overseas than in the US) </p>
<p>I too am worried about people tossing the bulbs into the trash.</p>
<p>I had a CFL start smoking and almost go up in flames. The circuitry in the base of it fried. It could have burned down the house.</p>
<p>These CFL bulbs are notorious for not lasting anywhere close to as long as they’re projected to so the actual savings in cost is not as expected.</p>
<p>The CFL bulb issue is another case of our legislators getting in the way and legislating something they shouldn’t have. In an effort to save energy they’re risking environmental and health damage. In addition, the light bulb factories in the USA closed and we’re now buying them from other countries. It’s kind of like wanting wind energy so badly that pristine desert and mountain areas are mowed down to install the wind turbines. </p>
<p>I just did a kitchen remodel and by code had to use low energy lighting. I think the inspector was more concerned about that than the structural, electrical, or plumbing. Since I hated the CFL bulbs I bit the bullet and spent extra money for LED lights. I really like the lighting the LED lights provide. They supposedly last in excess of 25 years. I hope their projections are more accurate for these than the CFLs.</p>
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<p>Don’t even get me started on this one. In any area that has multiple lights, I keep a combo of both the CFLs and the Edison lamps. I started writing date deployed on the lamps and CFLs start their downward cycle in roughly the same time that incandescents do.</p>
<p>I despise the light CFLs give off. The only place we have them is our garage. I have quite a stockpile of GE soft white 60 and 100 watt bulbs (my brother-in-law is an electrician), but will be happy to convert to LEDs when I run out.</p>
<p>I don’t use any CFL’s in my home yet and didn’t know about the disposal issues nor about the steps needing to be taken when one breaks. It’s ludicrous to think that everyone will handle these issues properly–think about an immigrant grandma with poor English, a college student who can barely be bothered sweeping up anything, the typical rushed American who drops a bulb on the way out the door to work. Has there been a government effort to educate people about the dangers–PSA’s, handouts in stores, etc.? If so, I haven’t seen anything. What happens when the first case of mercury poisoning in an infant gets reported, or workers at trash disposal facilities are determined to have higher than normal levels of mercury in their blood from exposure to improperly handled bulbs? Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Meanwhile, I see no reason not to stockpile incandescents.</p>
<p>We’ve replaced most of our lighting with LED bulbs. At $10/pop for 40 Watt equivalent, it has been an expensive proposition but the benefits are low energy use and practically no heat given off which means decreased cooling costs.</p>
<p>We don’t have any compact fluorescent bulbs in our house but we do have fluorescent tube lighting in the basement. These will be replaced with LED lighting at some point in the future.</p>
<p>The LED bulbs that we use are manufactured in the United States - the brand is EcoSmart.</p>
<p>We have hazardous disposal days at the city nearby once every two months. There is a suggested donation amount but it’s pretty small.</p>
<p>MaterMia, light bulbs are made in the US. Not many but that’s because it’s so much cheaper to make them overseas. I think the confusion comes from a political objection to an energy efficiency standard that was sold inaccurately as outlawing incandescent bulbs. It only required bulbs to meet a more energy efficient standard. Europe has, if I remember, outlawed incandescent bulb sales. We haven’t, at least not on the federal level. I think CA will outlaw them as of some year in the future, which will drive even bigger changes because of CA’s size.</p>
<p>When my son arrived at college 5 years ago, his res life folks came around with CFC light bulbs to replace his Edison light bulbs for free. He had one of those “octopus” lamps so those CFC bulbs would have cost a pretty penny. He quickly agreed. 5 years later, he has not had to replace a single CFC bulb, and he uses that lamp pretty frequently (it’s now in his apartment, since he graduated a year ago and is working). Small sample size, I know, but they do seem to last.</p>
<p>I hate these bulbs. My son’s college urges kids to use them but I’m sure those kids probably wouldn’t dispose of them properly and a lot of them can’t air a room out well because there isn’t that much ventilation. I would never use these bulbs if I had young kids around. What’s to stop someone from getting cut when a bulb breaks just like people do with other kinds of bulbs? To the OP, what did you do with the remains? Did you put them in your regular trash? That’s what I imagine people do, but is that safe?</p>
<p>Okay, so how are you supposed to dispose of them? I guess I should tell my son since his desk lamp for college will come with one.</p>
<p>Has anyone tried the Halogen light bulbs? They are suppose to be designed to replace the incandescent bulbs. I’ve been researching alternatives to the CFs because they really, really hurt my eyes and cause me to have ocular migraines. I picked a pack up of Halogens at the grocery store tonight. Hoping they will be similar to incandescent. Even though I stocked up on them, I’m a little freaked that I can no longer get 100 watts. The CFs pose a real health problem for some people.</p>
<p>Somebody please enlighten me. On what premises does the government have the right to outlaw incandescent bulbs? Incandescent bulbs do not physically contain any mercury - a known toxic substance, especially for children. Incandescent bulbs work using a solid filament. Electricity zaps the filament and the metal glows. CFLs replace the filament with vaporized mercury. Electricity flows into the chamber and mercury atoms are excited, producing a visible glow. Now, what gives the government power to outlaw incandescent bulbs, essentially forcing the populace to bring toxic material into their homes via CFLs?</p>
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<p>Yes, we did put it in the trash, but after reading some of your responses and checking the EPA web site, I’m going out to retrieve the bag. I’ll call the sanitation service tomorrow to find out the proper procedure.</p>
<p>There’s a procedure? Good Lord. Count me as one of the clueless ones that did not know disposing of modern light bulbs was so involved.</p>
<p>Lafalum–when they burn out I hope he doesn’t get mercury poisoning.
MomLive–Halogen light is crummy for everything except dark holes.</p>
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You can bring the old CFL bulbs to Home Depot -
<a href=“http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/ContentView?pn=KH_BG_EL_Choosing_CFL_Light_Bulbs[/url]”>http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/ContentView?pn=KH_BG_EL_Choosing_CFL_Light_Bulbs</a></p>
<p>Here’s the EPA reference to them (disposal of old ones and cleanup if it breaks) -
[Mercury-Containing</a> Light Bulb (Lamp) Recycling | Universal Waste | US EPA](<a href=“Land, Waste, and Cleanup Topics | US EPA”>Land, Waste, and Cleanup Topics | US EPA)</p>
<p>And -
<a href=“Lamp Recycle – Environmental Responsiblility Starts Here”>Lamp Recycle – Environmental Responsiblility Starts Here;
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The exposure to mercury is only if the glass breaks - not when the bulb ceases working. Unfortunately, they break easily. Then there’s the other issue that I ran into - the bulb’s circuitry burning up and possibly causing a fire. I don’t remember the brand but I won’t buy another CFL because of this alone.</p>