Advice for Householders on Disposal of Low energy CFL-I lamps (and Fluo' tubes)

Why do I need to be careful how I dispose of my CFL-I lamps and Fluo' tubes?

CFL-I lamps function in much the same way as a fluorescent tube and contain electronic components and a small amount of mercury to deliver their overall energy benefit* (see the note below). It's therefore much better not to put these lamps in the normal household waste bin. A more environmentally friendly and responsible way of disposal is to ensure that the lamps are recycled at the end of their life and you should therefore separate them from your normal household waste and dispose of them at your local authority recycling centre in the separate containers they will have available for these lamps.The containers are returned to specialist companies for recycling.

New CFL-I lamps and tubes sold today now carry the following informative mark as a reminder that they should be separately recycled:

How should I deal with a broken CFL?

Although the accidental breakage of a lamp is very unlikely to cause any health problems, it’s good practice to minimise any unnecessary exposure to mercury, as well as risk of cuts from glass fragments.

Fetch clean up materials as soon as possible, ventilating the room for a few minutes. Preferably do not use a vacuum cleaner, but clean up using rubber gloves and aim to avoid creating and inhaling airborne dust. Sweep up all particles and glass fragments and place in a plastic bag. Wipe the area with a damp cloth, then add that to the bag and seal it. Because Mercury is considered hazardous the bag should not be disposed of in the bin, but at a *civic amenity facility near where you live.

*All local councils have an obligation to make arrangements for the disposal of CFL’s and similar lamps at a civic amenity site or household waste recycling centre. You can find where they are on the Recolight website by using the 'Open Collections Search tool' above.

Producer's and Retailer's responsibilities - What the Regulations say

From 1st July 2007, waste CFLs have been subject to the requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. Those who manufacture and sell energy efficient bulbs provide information to the public about how to deal with waste bulbs and other WEEE. Some retailers take them back in store. However, most retailers have funded Designated Collection Facilities, in the main at local authority civic amenity sites. From this point, producers fund the transport, treatment and recycling, where most of the mercury can be recovered, and this is managed by Recolight on their behalf.

Further Links

Page last updated: 04/12/2008