fluorescent bulbs

State law requires all loads be covered before transport.

Fluorescent lamps/bulbs are accepted year-round at the our site for recycling.  Do NOT put them in your curbside recycling! Recycling fees for bulbs are:

  • 4’ and under tubes (incl. T8s) and CFLs - $0.75/each

  • Over 4’ tubes - $1.50/each

  • HID’s - $2 /each

  • Ballasts w/ PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyl), dated 1979 and earlier: $10/ballast.
    Ballasts post-1979 are accepted at no cost and disposed of as scrap metal recycling.

  • Please separate all lamps from ballasts for disposal.

  • If you have more than 50 bulbs, please call 715-446-3101, ext. 103 to let us know you are coming.

Incandescent and halogen bulbs/lamps do not require special handling, and can be placed in your regular garbage / trash.

ANOTHER OPTION:

Batteries + Bulbs: 4511 Rib Mountain Drive, Wausau, 715-355-9201 Call ahead for fees and hours.

How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb?

Fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. When a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home, some of this mercury is released as mercury vapor. To minimize exposure to mercury vapor, EPA recommends that residents follow cleanup and disposal steps. A cleanup overview is described below; please visit EPA for more information.

The most important steps to reduce exposure to mercury vapor from a broken bulb are:

BEFORE CLEANUP 

  • Have people and pets leave the room.

  • Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment.

  • Shut off the central forced air heating/air conditioning (H&AC) system, if you have one.

  • Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb

DURING CLEANUP

  • Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder.

  • Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.

AFTER CLEANUP

  • Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of properly. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.

  • For several hours, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off.

 

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