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RECYCLE FLUORESCENT LIGHT TUBES |
| Fluorescent lights are one of the most energy efficient lighting sources available. However, fluorescent lighting tubes contain a small amount of mercury, used to conduct the flow of electric current within the tube. Many facilities intermittently generate large numbers of broken or malfunctioning fluorescent light tubes. Historically, they have been discarded in landfills. When the tubes break, mercury may be released to the environment. This potential hazard has caused many state environmental agencies in the United States to classify fluorescent lighting tubes as hazardous waste and require that they be managed in accordance with applicable hazardous waste laws and regulations. Recycling spent fluorescent lighting tubes offers an environmentally sound alternative to solid waste disposal. Additionally, although recycling fluorescent tubes is probably more expensive than disposing them in your trash, recycling may relieve you of future liability concerns associated with landfilling fluorescent tubes. Recommendations:
Some recycling vendors prefer that lights be returned intact and packed properly in their original box for pick-up. Used lights can sometimes be sent via commercial ground transport, depending on the regulations in place in your region and at the receiving facility. In more restrictive states and regions, regulations may not allow the material to be sent without a hazardous waste manifest. Shipping arrangements and related details should be determined prior to using a light tube recycling vendor. Contact vendors directly for details (see vendor information section below). Some vendors provide special shipping boxes which comply with U.S. Department of Transportation specifications. The majority of the vendors listed below do not accept ballasts. Some of the vendors listed below will also accept high intensity discharge (HID) lamps which typically contain larger amounts of mercury than fluorescent tube lamps. The cost for recycling HID lamps is higher. Fluorescent lighting ballasts manufactured prior to 1980 contain PCBs, which also present disposal problems. However, ballasts produced after 1980 do not contain PCBs. The useful life of ballasts is approximately 15 years. Some U.S. states allow ballasts that do not contain PCBs to be disposed of in sanitary landfills. However, according to DYNEX Environmental, Inc., non-PCB ballasts contain diethylhexylphthalate (DEHP). DEHP is a suspected human carcinogen. Due to either the PCBs or DEHP content, facilities are encouraged to manage all ballasts as hazardous waste. Vendor Information:
DYNEX Industries, Inc. |
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