Lose It: How to Get Rid of Old Light Bulbs
When the light goes out, you'll want to get rid of the bulb safely. Here's how
Staff Writer, Houzz.com
Staff Writer, Houzz.com More »
For the sake of our health and the health of our planet, it's a good idea to pause before throwing anything questionable in the trash — or the recycling, for that matter. Light bulbs are one of those items that can be tricky to dispose of. It depends on what kind of light bulb you have. Some can be thrown away, some can be put in the recycling bin, and some need extra special treatment. Read on to figure out what kind of bulbs you have in your house, and what you should do when they've burnt out.
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| Incandescent bulbs: For many years these have been the most common light bulbs for home use. They're made with a thin metal filament, which is lit by electricity. The bulbs are usually a vacuum or filled with an inert gas. While they're pretty straightforward, incandescent bulbs are not energy efficient. Almost all the energy put into these bulbs is transferred into heat, rather than light. Private Comment
Unfortunately, most cities today do not accept incandescent light bulbs at their recycling centers. Call your local municipal recycling center to check. But since these bulbs don't contain any toxic materials, odds are that you may have to simply throw these burnt-out bulbs into the trash. Some people suggest putting the bulbs into their original packaging or a small plastic bag before throwing them away, so the glass won't shatter and hurt someone. Of course, you can always try to reuse your light bulbs. If they're not broken, you can make an ornament or any number of DIY crafts with a light bulb. Browse online for ideas like this miniature vase. |
Halogen bulbs: These lights are a variation of incandescent bulbs. Like incandescent bulbs, these bulbs are lit by a filament, which is in a tube with halogen gas. Halogen lights are slightly more efficient than standard incandescent bulbs, but not by much. These bulbs can also get very hot — hot enough to burn someone — and are weakened substantially from natural oils (such as those on your hands).
And like incandescent bulbs, there aren't many recycling opportunities for halogen bulbs. Luckily, neither contains toxic materials, in case you have to put them in the trash.
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And like incandescent bulbs, there aren't many recycling opportunities for halogen bulbs. Luckily, neither contains toxic materials, in case you have to put them in the trash.
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs): These spiral light bulbs have become more popular over the past several years, mainly because of their relatively affordable price and the huge amount of energy that they save. They produce very little heat — so almost all of the energy is put right into the light output. These bulbs are usually used in place of incandescents, and contain a small amount of mercury. Since mercury is a toxin, it means that particular care needs to be taken when recycling these.
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- In some states, like California, it's illegal to throw CFLs into the trash or the recycling bin. Try checking with your local garbage and recycling center to see if they have a CFL disposal service. If they don't, suggest that they get one!
- Your city or town may have a drop off location for CFLs, so give your town or city hall a call, too.
- Some large retailers — like Home Depot and IKEA — offer CFL recycling services for bulbs purchased through them.
- If none of these options are available to you, visit Earth911.com or RecycleABulb.com to find other ways to safely dispose of a CFL bulb.
Fluorescent: The tubular fluorescent lights are most often used in overhead lighting in offices. CFLs are essentially compact versions of these lights, so tubular fluorescent bulbs also contain mercury, and need to be disposed of in the same manner as a CFL bulb.
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LED: These more modern light bulbs are made without a filament. They consume very little power and have a much longer life span than incandescent lights or CFL lights. They don't produce as much heat as an incandescent bulb, and unlike CFLs, they don't use any dangerous chemicals. To top it off, LED lights are incredibly energy efficient — 95% of the energy they use is translated into light.
Similar to incandescent lights, LED lights don't contain any dangerous chemicals, so they can be disposed of in the same way as incandescent or halogen bulbs. However, most LED lights today are made with materials that are all recyclable. Check the package that your bulb came in to confirm, but odds are you can just toss your LED bulb in the recycling once it's used up.
Light bulb tips:
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Private Comment
Similar to incandescent lights, LED lights don't contain any dangerous chemicals, so they can be disposed of in the same way as incandescent or halogen bulbs. However, most LED lights today are made with materials that are all recyclable. Check the package that your bulb came in to confirm, but odds are you can just toss your LED bulb in the recycling once it's used up.
Light bulb tips:
- Make sure the bulbs in your house will last as long as possible — turn off lights in any room that's not being used. It sounds simple, but the amount of energy (and money) it will save is pretty remarkable.
- Reduce the use of wasteful incandescent bulbs in your household. Wait until they're burnt out, and replace them with CFL or LED bulbs.
- If you're taking CFL bulbs to a recycling center, shipping them to a recycling facility, or leaving them for a service to recycle, make sure that you wrap each bulb up carefully in bubble wrap or newspaper. You don't want the bulbs to break midway through the trip and leak mercury.
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Comments
Lisa O'Donnell says:
I can handle the flourescent price tag for bulbs (maybe not the funky, off color of some), but $30+++ for LEDs is INSANITY (and you don't state $)! It's like photovoltaic panels in the early years -- the payoff does not support the upfront cost - it would take 50 years of electrical usage to recover the expense of the originial purchase. And yes, it's great being green, but essentially only the rich can afford to be green.
7 months ago ·
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Fiorella Design says:
The LED lights will last 30+ years. So you'll never have to purchase again. My suggestion is to put them in key locations. You don't have to every room. Locate the rooms or places in a room where you want a truer whiter light. The benefit of LED isn't just the energy efficiency they also have a much better light quality. Nobody likes fluorescent lighting.
7 months ago ·
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Hi maryjofiorella you wrote: "The LED lights will last 30+ years." But for now, this is just an statement from the fabricator. These lights are available on the market for a short time and none of them was ever burning for 30 years. In 25 Years we will see if this allegation it is true. It was the same as the flourescent light bulbs conquered the market. Many of them stopped working after a short time of using! And who knows what kind of light we will use in 25 Years ??? However I like this invention and in a couple Years the LED lights will be more affordable like every new invention.
7 months ago ·
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catzson says:
I've been looking for something energy efficient for my pot lights in the kitchen. However, nothing is very bright. I'm over 40 and need all the help I can get! :-) Any suggestions?
7 months ago ·
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engineerchic says:
I'm with 3d tiledesign - I fell for the lie the CFL manufacturers told us ("They'll last 8-10 years!!" then they failed after 2-3 years). In the winter here, that extra heat from incandescents isn't a bad thing at all.
LED lights make sense in some applications - like a worklight or headlamp where you want bright light from a small bulb that doesn't get hot. But if I have a choice of spending $300 to upgrade the bulbs in my family room & office *OR* putting in thermal window shades to conserve heat loss/gain .. yeah, the thermal window coverings win.
LED lights make sense in some applications - like a worklight or headlamp where you want bright light from a small bulb that doesn't get hot. But if I have a choice of spending $300 to upgrade the bulbs in my family room & office *OR* putting in thermal window shades to conserve heat loss/gain .. yeah, the thermal window coverings win.
7 months ago ·
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susieqdesignstudio says:
I think this green movement is trading one bad thing for another. More waste for creating energy or mercury poisoning. Personally, I'll take the bulb that makes things look good and that I can safely throw away in the trash. The only reason the establishment is promoting CFL bulbs is because they are being produced in China and contaminating China's communities, not communities in the USA. If i'm suppose to leave a room if I accidentally break a CFL Light bulb something tells me there is a problem with that. I'll take the incandescent or halogen light bulb any day. Until an LED light is even close to becoming reasonably affordable the establishment can keep them!
7 months ago ·
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myoffice says:
Few people know that in only a years time we will no longer have a choice when it comes to incandescent bulbs. We only have (as I understand it) one yes only 1 manufacturer of this bulb in the US. These bulbs will be OUTLAWED in about one year. At that time we will be purchasing our flourescent and other bulbs mostly from China.... Don't like the idea of someone else deciding for you what lighting you have in your home? Contact your Congress Representative...TODAY before it is too late. They have already voted on this but it WILL come up again before the final deadline.
7 months ago ·
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fredericklc says:
Myoffice: I agree with your post. If the current trend continues we will end up with the Federal Government telling us what toliet paper to use. Some how I just can't see those ugly screwy bright light thingies in my daughter's sweet little chandelier. I'm going to say no to CFL lighting.
6 months ago ·
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seaturtle60 says:
Wow, just got a lesson on light bulb choices, in a whole different light!!! I was giving into the high cost of the CFL,s because as a Horticulturist and Designer of all things living, I was wanting to stay true to the Green movement...I am rethinking that now.
5 months ago ·
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