CFL lightbulb info - mercury

RECYCLING

Supported by the Green Action Project, Green Light New Orleans offers free CFL recycling at the following location:New Orleans Surf Shop, 7722 Maple Street, New Orleans, LA 70118 (get directions) Broken CFLs have to be dropped off in a sealed zip loc bag.

Home Depot also offers free CFL recycling. Bring your old or broken CFL to the customer service desk at your nearest Home Depot location.

Compact fluorescent bulbs contain small amounts of mercury. The mercury poses no threat while in the bulb, but if you break one be careful not to inhale the mercury - immediately use a wet rag to clean it up and put all of the pieces, and the rag, into a zip loc bag and seal the bag.

CFLs save consumers energy and money, but also pose hazards to the environment. When discarded in the trash they can release mercury vapor into the environment. The released mercury vapor is harmful not only to the environment, but animals and you! Read more about the mercury content here.

CFLs have to be recycled!

Incandescent Bulb Recycling
Currently there is no recycling facility for incandescent bulbs for the metro New Orleans area. A facility does exist in Hammond, LA but the price is currently prohibitive to our program. If you have any
suggestions on what to do with incandescent bulbs please send us your ideas by email.