[Announce] lights - where best to recycle round flourescents?

[Sheree]

Andy had written (this - at the end of following post):

State agencies are mandated to collect them for themselves, as are
businesses and other commercial entities, as they are considered
hazardous waste, although state law specifically exempts this for
residents.  I would try calling the hazardous waste people at the city
and see what they say.

I'm glad that is the policy. While florescent bulbs do last a long time,
the state goes through a ton of them as do many large commercial
entities -- especially compared to individuals. And the new bulbs, as
previously noted have far less mercury.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andy Arthur" <andy at nycowboy.org>
To: <announce at nodumpinthepinebush.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 14, 2007 3:59 PM
Subject: Re: [Announce] lights - where best to recycle round flourescents?


> On Sat, 2007-07-14 at 10:41 -0700, James Travers wrote:
>> Sheree,
>>
>> I know of no place to recycle these lamps which do contain a small
>> quantity of mercury.
>
> The older non-CFL lamps from years ago have significantly amount mercury
> then the old ones -- something like 20 milligrams vs. 2 milligrams in
> CFLS and maybe 4 milligrams at the most in modern long florescent
> bulbs.
>
> Actually, the low levels of mercury in modern bulbs are their leading
> cause of failure these days -- the mercury over time absorbs into the
> phosphorous, glass, and other parts of the bulb, meaning that bulbs
> won't start anymore. New CFLs and long florescent bulbs simply do not
> last as long as the ones from the 1960s -- many of which still work.
> Then again, rapid start is both more energy efficient and easier on
> bulbs then the old warm start of the 1960s -- for those switched on and
> off regularly.
>
> Admittedly, most older thermometers have between 500 milligrams and
> 3,000 milligrams (.5-3 grams) mercury in them, as do other monitoring
> equipment such as mercury manometers used on dairy farms -- which might
> contain as much as 340,000 milligrams (340 grams) of mercury.
>
> And then there is Lafarge Cement plant in Ravena that releases into the
> air about a pound and a half of mercury a DAY, which is equal to 680,355
> milligrams of mercury. Of course that is methyl mercury already when it
> goes into the air, so there isn't that pesky problem of getting the
> mercury from sticking to the inside of the florescent bulb into the air.
>
> Of course, you'd better ask Jim about that one. He knows better, as he's
> their neighbors.
>
>> The State University supposedly has dumpster for recycling
>> fluorescents, but it is for their own waste and not open to the public
>> for their use.
>
>> Maybe an email to DGS Commissioner Willard Bruce would get you an
>> answer about what the City does with the many of theirs when it's time
>> for their disposal.
>
> State agencies are mandated to collect them for themselves, as are
> businesses and other commercial entities, as they are considered
> hazardous waste, although state law specifically exempts this for
> residents.  I would try calling the hazardous waste people at the city
> and see what they say.
>
> I'm glad that is the policy. While florescent bulbs do last a long time,
> the state goes through a ton of them as do many large commercial
> entities -- especially compared to individuals. And the new bulbs, as
> previously noted have far less mercury.
>
>
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