What are Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)?

CFL stands for Compact Fluorescent Light, and like all fluorescent lights (including the tubes), CFLs contain mercury, one of the most toxic substances on the planet.  While CFLs are more energy efficient, the environmental and health impact of mercury can be catastrophic .  There is a better solution: LED light bulbs. Switching from traditional light bulbs to LED lighting is an effective, accessible change every American can make right now to reduce energy use at home and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change. Lighting accounts for close to 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill.EnergyStarqualified LEDs use up to 90 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, cost little up front, and provide a quick return on investment. If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with anEnergyStarqualified LED light, in one year it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 800,000 cars.

Do CFLs contain mercury?

Yes. Mercury is an essential component of CFLs and fluorescent tubes, and it is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. No mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use, but that changes if a bulb breaks or if the burned out bulb goes to a landfill.

What precautions should I take when using CFLs in my home?

CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the bulb from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lamp by its base (not the glass), and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket. If a CFL breaks in your home, follow the clean-up recommendations below. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly, or the mercury will end up in your groundwater or the food that water nourishes.

What should I do with a CFL when it burns out?

EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org to identify local recycling options.

If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. CFLs should not be disposed of in an incinerator.

EnergyStar qualified CFLs have a warranty. If the bulb has failed within the warranty period, return it to your retailer.

How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb?

The following steps can be performed by the general public:

1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag.
• Use disposable rubber gloves, if available (i.e., do not use bare hands). Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag.
  
• Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
3. Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag.
• Place the first bag in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal.
  
• Note: some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center.
  
• Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.
  
4. If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet:
• First, remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
  
• If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.