rsarvis January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 I'm replacing some 39" T5 bulbs. They're long and really skinny. How is it best to dispose of them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 I actually shatter them and put throw away the remnents. Shatter them is easy in a bag of some kind... just be careful. That being said I'm curious if others have a another or better way of disposing of them. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastiireefs January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 they should actually be recycled because they have mercury vapor gas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 (edited) they should actually be recycled because they have mercury vapor gas Yup. It's best to avoid breaking them. If you live near or frequent an Ikea, they'll take them. Or, try here for locations near you: http://www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling/ Cheers Mike Edited January 20, 2008 by OUsnakebyte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastiireefs January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 (edited) --- Edited January 20, 2008 by toastiireefs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 I asked this very same questions once because I have some very old bulbs in my closet. The answers were to throw them in the trash.. didn't want to do that hence I still have them. I do not reccommend smashing actinic bulbs. I once accidently broke an actinic T-8 - shattered and scattered tiny splinters all the way to the other side of the room and some were actually around the corner into the next room! Fortunately I was elsewhere when something fell on it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 Well basically I have to drive to baltimore to recycle the bulbs? (Ikea in baltimore... local county doesn't accept them for recyclable) Hmmm and these are the same bulbs they are pushing for us to replace our standard household bulbs with... That doesn't make sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 Well basically I have to drive to baltimore to recycle the bulbs? (Ikea in baltimore... local county doesn't accept them for recyclable) Hmmm and these are the same bulbs they are pushing for us to replace our standard household bulbs with... That doesn't make sense. It doesn't. Maybe they are thinking the others can just go in the trash like regular light bulbs because they are small. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhoch January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 Let's see this sounds like a good idea for the environment... let's make bulbs that save money (i.e. less electricity = better for the environment), but let's make them hazardous and NOT provide for a way to dispose of/recycle them. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastiireefs January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 the energy efficient light bulbs are the same, and those are awful too and you are actually NOT supposed to throw those or smash those either... ya know the phrase, mad hatter, or mad as a hatter... its because they put mercury on the tops of their hats and it would seep through and mess with their head or brain or cause them to go crazy...or what ever mercury does to you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 20, 2008 Share January 20, 2008 Hmm... this could be a discussion for the conservation forum. There are a lot of aquarium-related environmental issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetic1 January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 Well basically I have to drive to baltimore to recycle the bulbs? (Ikea in baltimore... local county doesn't accept them for recyclable) Hmmm and these are the same bulbs they are pushing for us to replace our standard household bulbs with... That doesn't make sense. If you want to, you can drive down to Gaithersburg. They will take them at the county site. http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/apps/dpw...p?categoryID=36 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsarvis January 21, 2008 Author Share January 21, 2008 Man, that's annoying! My closest places are probably a 20-minute drive, which wouldn't be so bad if I had other business to do in Lorton and/or Fairfax... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 Some day we'll be like Germany. They have a very robust recycling program that is mandatory. Glass gets separated into bins for clear, brown and green glass. Other bins are provided for cardboard, paper, styrofoam, metals, batteries of all types, etc. Even organic waste has to be separated from normal household trash and a special bin is provided for that. Each house pays by the kilo for any remaining waste and they actually inspect the trash as it is picked up to make sure that it does not contain any recyclable materials (fines can and are levied for violations). For the more difficult to recycle materials, manufactures pay a fee to the Grune Punkt (Green dot) program and these funds are used to pay for costs of separating these materials from household waste and processing them for recycling. Yes, the costs are then added back into the cost of the products but this in turn generates more jobs and is good for the economy. To put it into perspective, the waste can for our family of 8 people (us and my wife's family) at the end of each week was about half of a normal US kitchen trash can! I cringe every time I have to throw a battery into the trash just because there are no recycling centers around here that will take them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treesprite January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 maybe at some point we could all bring together our old bulbs and soemone could take them to a recycling place.... how many people are there with old bulbs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YBeNormal January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 All of us eventually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 Some day we'll be like Germany. I just visited there last September (trip with my dad and stepmom where I was the tour guide/travel agent), and my parents were puzzled why they had to pay extra for the plastic bag that their goods came in - Oklahoma is not exactly the hotbed of conservationist activity... Educational opportunity!!! I explained the astounding amount of nonbiodegradable plastic in the oceans these days (the "vortex" of trash the size of Africa currently spinning in the Pacific and how sea turtles ingest plastic bags thinking they are jellies) and how my household (of only two) takes reusable cloth bags to the grocery store. Just leave the bags in the car - you have them when you need them and how places like Ikea here actually charge you for the bag as well (Euro company of course). Using cloth bags for groceries, etc. also has the benefit of saving the store money as well - less they have to spend on buying more bags. I cringe every time I have to throw a battery into the trash just because there are no recycling centers around here that will take them. Ikea to the rescue again!!! They'll take your batteries. Living in DC I'm no where near one. So, I have a box 'o used batteries I keep in the closet that - when running errands in the 'burbs - I'll seize the opportunity to pass by and drop off my batteries. I also do this with my fluorescent tubes. I saved a light box from an online order I have designated for old bulbs. Drop 'em off when I can. It's really not that much; it amounts to 2-3 trips to Ikea in a year. Cheers Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnetic1 January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 I also do this with my fluorescent tubes. I saved a light box from an online order I have designated for old bulbs. Drop 'em off when I can. It's really not that much; it amounts to 2-3 trips to Ikea in a year. Cheers Mike Same here. I always have to goto the County Dump site for used cooking oil, motor oil, brake fluids, etc. So I just bring em all over at once That's another thing... most people just dump their used cooking oil straight down the drain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zotzer January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 Maybe, if there is a willing member/volunteer who lives near an Ikea, we can organize a lamp collection at the quarterly meetings. Tracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rioreef January 21, 2008 Share January 21, 2008 Tracy, I was thinking the same thing. Any volunteers to take used bulbs to a proper recycle site. Action for the Feb. meeting. This is something all clubs across the country should do (WAMAS should forward suggestion to MASNA). We as aquarists are tuned into the hazards that are affecting aquatic life and this one part we can help with. Small but it helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now