How to Dispose of Light Bulbs in an Eco-Friendly Way

Light bulbs don’t last forever, no matter the lifespan they boast on their packaging. You will have to dispose of them eventually. Some light bulbs are easily disposed of, while others need more care and caution. Knowing how to dispose of light bulbs or how to recycle them (depending on the type, they may be recyclable) can not only keep you safe but also help the environment as well. The five most common household lights you will likely deal with are incandescent lights, halogen lights, compact fluorescent lights, fluorescent tube lights, and light-emitting diode lights. Each of these has a different procedure for disposal, and a few of them are even recyclable.

Incandescent lights

Incandescent lights are your most basic form of a household light bulb, so much so that they are referred to more often as your standard light bulb. In an incandescent bulb, when the energy current passes through the filament within the bulb glows, radiating the light that you see and which illuminates your living space. These bulbs are becoming less and less popular, however, as they are less energy-efficient and have relatively short lifespans. These regular, run-of-the-mill standard bulbs are fine to be disposed of in your household trash can as they have no toxic element to them. However, do be aware of the glass possibly shattering when you do dispose of them. Another option is to check with your local home improvement store and see if they offer a recycling program for incandescent lights.

Halogen lights

Halogen lights are a common replacement to incandescent lights as they have a whiter light emittance and are known to be more energy-efficient than their counterpart. Halogen lights are not recyclable as the wires used to help light the bulb up are often within the glass. If you’re looking to dispose of your old halogen bulb, simply throw it away in your household garbage bin. It presents no danger to the environment or yourself to do so.

Compact fluorescent lights

A compact fluorescent light, otherwise known as a CFL, has grown increasingly popular as it is more energy-efficient and lasts a lot longer than your standard light bulb. However, efficiency and longevity don’t come for free. CFL bulbs contain mercury. Mercury is the only metal element that is liquid at room temperature, and it is hazardous to touch and to consume, especially in large quantities. When a CFL is casually thrown away, it is taken to the dump and thrown into a large pile where it will crack, causing the mercury to leak from it. If it were only light, this would hardly be an issue, but millions of people may be throwing away their mercury tainted lights, and that’s the real problem. Mercury is toxic, and the environment as a whole suffers from lights that were thrown away carelessly. Like with the incandescent lights, many home improvement stores have places where you can either properly dispose of the fluorescent lights or where you can recycle them. Recycling is always the better option, so look to see if you can do that before choosing to throw them away.

Fluorescent tube lights

Fluorescent tube lights are often found in offices or schools and are the long rods of lights. Like with the CFLs, these lamps contain mercury. When these lamps are turned on, the electric current excites the mercury and other gasses within the chamber to create light. Since these fluorescent lights contain mercury, it makes them more hazardous to dispose of than with an incandescent or halogen bulb. Where you recycle or throw away your CFLs, you’ll more than likely be able to do the same with your fluorescent lamps. There is no federal regulation that restricts people from tossing their mercury-filled fluorescent lights into the junkyard. Still, many areas within the country are cracking down to keep both residents and the environment safer and healthier. Know where, when, and how to recycle, or at the very least, properly dispose of your fluorescent lights.

Light-emitting diode lights

Better known as LEDs, light-emitting diode bulbs function by running energy through to a microchip that will then light up the miniature LEDs in the bulb. LED lights don’t contain any harmful chemicals as they don’t need any to light up the LEDs in the bulb or elements, like a fluorescent bulb, making them easy to dispose of once their long life is over. LEDs are rising in popularity in households and office spaces for several reasons. LEDs are the most environmentally friendly, have the best energy-efficiency ratings, require the least amount of maintenance, and have the longest lifespan on average than any other bulb. LEDs are not only environmentally friendly because they lack mercury, but also because they are more recyclable than other types of lights and bulbs, You might not even have to contact a local home improvement store, but just your recycling company!

If you can, recycle light bulbs over trashing! It is not always a possibility to recycle, like with halogen lights, but every opportunity you have to do so, do it. When you can not recycle, be sure you know how to dispose of the light properly you have to guarantee a healthier and happier future for all.

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