How to Dispose of Light Bulbs and What to Do With Each Type
Illuminate yourself on how to reduce waste
Whether a light bulb has gone from bright to blah overnight or you’re looking to swap your old bulbs for LEDs in the hopes of reducing your home’s energy consumption, you’ll need to dispose of your light bulbs properly. Working with eco-friendly LED bulbs is a cinch, but what about CFLs and fluorescent tubes? These light bulbs, which contain mercury, require special disposal to protect you, your family, and the environment. Read our guide to learn how to dispose of every kind of light bulb the smart and safe way.
Why Should You Dispose or Recycle Light Bulbs Properly?
Different kinds of light bulbs are made from different materials, and each has its own recycling rules. Some bulbs, such as incandescents, are difficult to recycle because they are made from small bits of metal and glass that are nearly impossible to separate. Many recycling programs don’t allow incandescent bulbs because the energy spent recycling them is more than the energy saved, though there are a few programs that will accept them.
Other bulbs have more extreme circumstances that require strict disposal rules. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, are popular in places like hospitals and schools, but they need to be recycled through specific recycling programs because the bulbs contain mercury. If thrown into the trash, this toxic chemical can leak into groundwater and the local drinking supply.
On the other hand, the eco-friendly LED light bulb is highly recyclable, with 95% of the materials reusable. Recycling your LED bulbs helps to reduce the amount of trash accumulating in landfills and preserves the Earth’s resources.
Disposing of Incandescent Light Bulbs
Incandescent light bulbs have been around since the early 1900s. They’re simple—made from wire filament and glass, without any hazardous chemicals—but aren’t very energy-efficient, lasting only 700–2,000 hours. For this reason, incandescent light bulbs are being phased out in some places, such as Canada, in favor of more efficient options.
Most recyclers won’t accept incandescent bulbs because the energy to recycle them takes more energy than it saves.
Look into specialized mail-in programs, such as LampMaster, which will recycle your bulbs.
Alternatively, you can safely throw incandescent bulbs into your garbage bin. Because the glass can break and be a hazard, put the bulbs into another container first—like an old oatmeal tub, cereal box, or something similar.
Disposing of Halogen Bulbs
Halogen light bulbs are mostly made of glass. They contain many fine wires, which makes them difficult to recycle. Illuminating with a crisp, soft white, there are actually seven different kinds of halogen light bulbs.
Halogen bulbs are made of quartz glass, a kind that melts at a different temperature than other popular glasses, so they can’t simply be thrown into your glass recycling bin.
Like incandescent bulbs, halogen light bulbs can be thrown into the garbage. They aren’t as fragile as incandescent bulbs, but it’s always a good idea to wrap them in newspaper or something else to prevent any accidents that might arise from broken glass.
You can also look into mail-in programs like EZ on the Earth, which accepts halogen light bulbs, as well as CFLs.
Disposing of LED Light Bulbs
Light-emitting diodes, or LED bulbs, are very efficient, beating out both incandescent and CFLs by lasting up to 50,000 hours. These bulbs are considered environmentally friendly, as they don’t use hazardous chemicals and have a long lifespan while requiring very little energy.
Good news: LED light bulbs do not contain any toxic materials and are easy to recycle.
Several stores, such as IKEA, Home Depot, and Lowe’s, have drop boxes where you can recycle your bulbs. Some stores ask you to wrap the bulbs in newspaper or another material to prevent breakage; call and check to understand the protocol.
Mail-in services, such as the aforementioned LampMaster, will also accept LED bulbs.
Some cities have their own recycling programs as well.
Smart LED bulbs can be recycled the same way as non-smart models.
Disposing of CFL Bulbs
Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, come in many different shapes and colors and are considered more efficient than incandescent bulbs, lasting 8,000–20,000 hours. They contain mercury and need to be disposed of with care.
First things first: do not throw these bulbs in the trash. You risk mercury spilling into the landfill, which can, in turn, leak into the groundwater. Many states have laws prohibiting the disposal of CFL bulbs into the garbage.
Look into local CFL recycling programs; some exist at hardware stores, such as Home Depot and Lowe’s. These stores require the bulbs to be intact. Others are run by the city.
If your CFL light bulb breaks, act with seriousness; mercury is a very toxic material. Have every person and pet leave the room, and open all windows and doors to increase ventilation. Turn off your HVAC. Wearing a face mask and heavy-duty gloves, collect all the broken pieces in a sealable container (don’t vacuum anything as this can spread the mercury-laden powder); use pieces of cardboard to help sweep up any broken bits. Contact your local government to ask about proper and safe disposal.
Disposing of Fluorescent Tubes
Fluorescent tubes contain mercury, like CFLs, so they cannot be thrown into the garbage.
The EPA recommends searching Earth911 to find a safe recycling center for these lights.
Many cities run their own hazardous waste collection programs, in addition to mail-back programs like LampMaster and BulbCycle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any light bulbs made from toxic materials, such as CFL bulbs and fluorescent light tubes, should not be thrown in the garbage. These bulbs need to be sent to hazardous waste collection sites run by your municipality or sent through a specialized mail-back recycling program. Earth911 allows you to search and find a recycling location near you.
Not every, but many, states classify fluorescent tubes and CFL light bulbs as hazardous waste that need to be disposed of in a specified manner. California defines its list of hazardous fluorescent tubes as follows:
Fluorescent tubes, including low mercury tubes.
Compact fluorescents, including low mercury lamps
Metal halide lamps, such as floodlights for large indoor and outdoor areas and gymnasiums
Sodium lamps, such as those sometimes used as security lighting and outdoor floodlights
Mercury vapor lamps, such as those sometimes used for street lighting