A Bright Idea?

Compact florescent light bulbs may be more efficient than incandescent lighting, but they contain toxic mercury. Terri Goldberg, deputy director of the Northeast Waste Management Officials Association, joins Bruce Gellerman to talk about the environmental impact of fluorescents and the lack of regulations for recycling the bulbs.

There's just one problem with compact fluorescent bulbs: they contain mercury which is toxic and when it winds up in the food chain, can cause damage to our brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. Joining me in the studio is Terri Goldberg. She's Deputy Director of the Northeast Waste Management Officials Association.

INTERVIEW:

GELLERMAN: So what does the average person do? They go to the store with the best of green intentions. They buy some of these curly cue little bulbs and they feel good about it. And then it comes time to get rid of them and it's not okay just to toss them in the trash.

GOLDBERG: Legally, in most jurisdictions you can throw them in the trash if you're in a household setting.

GELLERMAN: Is that kind of an ecological no no though?

GOLDBERG: Yes, we recommend that people recycle these bulbs.

GELLERMAN: And where would I bring my bulbs? I mean that's a little onerous. You know I've got to accumulate my bulbs. Remember that those are the used ones as opposed to the new bulbs.

GOLDBERG: That's true it is a burden on the consumers and residents. And it depends on where you live what you can do with them. In locations where you have, say household hazardous waste collection programs some of those programs take these lamps back. Or you might be able to do it through say a Department of Public Works if they collect household hazardous wastes. But it's only in very few locations where the retailer is now involved in taking back these florescent lamps, like you have with the bottle bill. So for example in Vermont we're now seeing True Value Hardware stores, Ace Hardware stores beginning to provide this as a service to their customers. But we haven't yet seen that with Walmart or Home Depot or other large retailers of these products.

GELLERMAN: It's a real patchwork.

GOLDBERG: That's right and that's a huge challenge.

GELLERMAN: Well Walmart, really is pushing these bulbs, they want to sell one compact florescent bulb to each one of their hundred million customers this coming year.

GOLDBERG: That's right and as I understand it there's beginning to be discussions with Walmart about this problem for their customers of what to do with these bulbs when they burn out.

Link on title for full article.
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NOT SO GREEN AFTER ALL

My note -

A sad commentary that this form of lighting is being pushed and there is no simple disposal system in place. So how much mercury will end up in the environment? How green is this new lighting being sold to the people. Just how good for the environment is this?

How many people will search out an approved mercury recycling center? How safe is it when the bulb breaks in the home?

How sad is this comment?
GOLDBERG: "Legally, in most jurisdictions you can throw them in the trash if you're in a household setting."


From the frequently asked question page of the Franklin County Waste district
http://www.franklincountywastedistrict.org/faqs.html#fluorescent
How do I dispose of fluorescent lamps?
Fluorescent lamps contain mercury in vapor form. If the lamp is broken, the mercury vapor escapes. Do not dispose of fluorescent lamps in the trash. See information below. If you break a fluorescent lamp, clear the area immediately. Wait ten minutes. Using plastic/latex gloves, carefully pick up the broken pieces and place them into a bag or box for disposal. When the mercury vapor is released, the glass can be thrown out. However, it is dangerous to your health to intentionally break fluorescent lamps. Throw out the gloves when you’re done.

The page says "Wait ten minutes." Really? That's not what the woman in the article below was told to do.

Consumers in dark over risks of new light bulbs
Push for energy-saving fluorescents ignores mercury disposal hazards
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213

WASHINGTON – Brandy Bridges heard the claims of government officials, environmentalists and retailers like Wal-Mart all pushing the idea of replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving and money-saving compact fluorescent lamps.

So, last month, the Prospect, Maine, resident went out and bought two dozen CFLs and began installing them in her home. One broke. A month later, her daughter's bedroom remains sealed off with plastic like the site of a hazardous materials accident, while Bridges works on a way to pay off a $2,000 estimate by a company specializing in environmentally sound cleanups of the mercury inside the bulb. Link to full article

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My note-

More research is needed to find out whole story on the amount of mercury escaping into the environment, from florescent bulb use -v- incandescent bulb use, i.e., the mercury entering the environment via coal use in powering electricity, etc., and the risk of exposure to people in their homes where these bulbs break.

Will the main stream media be covering this issue?

There are more links to this story - I'll be adding them.

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