Fluorescent lamps, sometimes called fluorescent bulbs, fluorescent tubes, or compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), depending on the specific style, all share some basic features that make them hazardous when handling and disposing of them – namely, their fragile nature and the chemical composition of the gases within that are held at a near-vacuum, including mercury. Learn more about the hazards you need to watch out for when storing, handling, and disposing of these lights, including facilities in your area that may accept them.
Hazards
- There are two common types of fluorescent lighting:
- Fluorescent tubes (and other shapes) that are used in commercial, industrial, and home lighting in garages, basements, and other more utilitarian spaces.
- Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) that are for use in standard light bulb fixtures, typically resembling a close-wound tube in the shape of a light bulb.
- Fluorescent light bulbs/lamps, including energy-saving compact fluorescents, contain When a bulb/lamp breaks, it releases mercury – which is toxic to the human nervous system and can poison wildlife – into the air. Fishing in many Massachusetts water bodies is restricted due to mercury contamination.
- When a light bulb breaks, projected shards of glass may injure eyes or skin.
- To learn more about the health and environmental risks of mercury, check out our blog, Dealing with Mercury at Home in All Its Forms, and the Mass.gov page, MassDEP Mercury Information.
- For more information on other forms of mercury-containing devices, see our fact sheet on them:
Handling
- Store bulbs/lamps in a box or case to prevent breakage. Keep out of reach of children or pets.
- Wear glasses when handling bulbs/lamps.
- If you break a bulb, follow the MassDEP Guidance for Cleaning Up Broken Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs).
Management Options
- Do not dispose of it in the trash, especially if your community’s solid waste goes to a combustion facility.
- Take them to a municipal recycling center if fluorescent bulbs/lamps are accepted.
- Massachusetts has mercury drop-off locations that may accept fluorescent & Mercury-Added light bulbs and other mercury-containing devices. Find the interactive map here: Where to Safely Dispose of Fluorescent Light Bulbs & Other Mercury Products.
- Take them to a Household Hazardous Products Collection Center alongside other household hazardous waste.
This information was brought to you by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and NEDT. For more information, including links to their guides, visit our Fact Sheets & Links page, and make sure to check out our NEDT Blog and Household Hazardous Products Resources for more in-depth information.
