In terms of the environment, there’s good news and bad news with regard to the use of fluorescent lamps. The good news is that they consume only one quarter the electricity consumed by incandescent lighting. The bad news is that the phosphor powder inside fluorescent bulbs contains mercury, which is toxic, making a broken bulb a potential hazard.
The Universal Waste Rule was created to encourage the recycling of consumer products with specific toxic or hazardous components, such as fluorescent lamps. Look for any of a number of companies across the country that dismantle used fluorescent lamps, remove the mercury-containing phosphor powder and dispose of it according to the appropriate federal and state regulations for later reuse.
Proceed through this section of the tour to make sure you are in compliance with the regulations that govern the use, storage and disposal of fluorescent bulbs at your residential facility.