CFLs require new twist in disposal

Mercury in energy-wise light bulbs poses threat of hazardous waste

State and local governments have begun to mandate their use in public buildings, both to save energy and to respond to political pressure for action to curb global warming.

But what do we do when they finally do burn out?

Whispers of risk

"Everybody is promoting these based on energy efficiency, but people are only whispering about the environmental risk if the mercury gets released," said Abernathy.

Under federal law, large users of fluorescent bulbs and tubes aren't permitted to send them to municipal landfills. The bulbs must be recycled or sent to designated hazardous waste facilities.

Smaller businesses and households are exempt, but the EPA urges consumers to recycle spent CFLs so the mercury, glass and other components can be recovered.

Nine states and a growing number of local governments have gone further, requiring recycling for all bulbs containing mercury. Maryland is not among them.

Some environmental groups regard the amount of mercury in CFLs as a minor worry compared with the hundreds of tons released annually, most of it from the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants.

The Natural Resources Defense Council notes on its Web site that the mercury in a discarded CFL - and in the coal burned to power it over its lifetime - would release 8 milligrams of mercury. That's less than half the 17.6 milligrams emitted by the coal burned to light a less-efficient incandescent bulb for the same period of time.

"Recycling is always important for anything you throw out," said the NRDC's Julia Bovey. But "we keep so much mercury out of the air by using cleaner light bulbs ... that no matter what happens with the light bulb, we're still cutting down on the amount of mercury" released.

The best way to address the issue, she said, "is to speed up the next generation of energy-efficient light bulbs that won't have mercury in them." Those include light-emitting diode (LED) lamps - still very costly and several years from household use.

Handle with care

Everyone seems to acknowledge the need to handle CFLs with care.

"It's a tiny amount [of mercury in a CFL], but it is mercury," said Mark Kohorst, senior manager for environmental health and safety at the National Electronics Manufacturers' Association. "Our members have always generally supported recycling."

So how tiny is "tiny"?