Recycle intact fluorescent lamps through a program that accepts their shape and household source. Keep them out of compactors and handle them gently because the glass contains a small amount of mercury.
If a lamp breaks, have people and pets leave, air out the room, shut off forced-air heating or cooling, and follow EPA’s no-initial-vacuum cleanup sequence.
The detailed household sequence below is for one known CFL or fluorescent tube. For multiple lamps, a large release, or an unknown specialty lamp, contact the local mercury authority before cleanup.
Identify the Lamp
Compact fluorescent lamps may be spiral, folded, or covered to resemble an incandescent bulb. Linear tubes, circline lamps, black lights, and some specialty lamps can also contain mercury.
LED and incandescent bulbs use different technology. Check the lamp marking, packaging, or manufacturer information before using fluorescent-lamp guidance.
Recycle an Intact Fluorescent Lamp
EPA recommends using available local recycling for fluorescent and other mercury-containing lamps. Some states and localities require it.
Search the state environmental agency or local household hazardous-waste program. Confirm the site, lamp types, tube lengths, quantity, fees, appointments, and household eligibility.
A retailer or mail-back service may accept certain lamps, but exclusions change. Confirm the exact product before carrying or shipping it.
Turn off the lamp and let it cool. Remove a CFL by its plastic or ceramic base rather than twisting the glass tubing.
Protect the lamp from impact during storage and transport. Use the original packaging or another rigid container that the receiver allows, and never tape directly onto the glass.
Clean Up a Broken Fluorescent Lamp
- Have people and pets leave the room. Open a window or exterior door for five to ten minutes.
- Shut off central forced-air heating and air conditioning.
- Collect stiff paper, sticky tape, damp paper towels, and a sealable jar or plastic bag.
- Do not vacuum initially. Scoop fragments and powder with stiff paper, then use tape for small pieces.
- Wipe hard surfaces with damp disposable towels. Place debris and cleanup material in the sealable container.
- Move the sealed debris outdoors to a protected area, then ask local government how broken lamps must be disposed.
Vacuuming can spread mercury-containing powder or vapor. EPA says to vacuum only if glass remains after the other cleanup steps, then follow its detailed surface-specific directions.
If practical, continue airing the room and leave the forced-air system off for several hours after cleanup.
Check Local Disposal Rules
If local rules permit household trash when recycling is unavailable, EPA says to seal the CFL in a plastic bag and place it in outside trash for normal collection.
That is a conditional fallback, not a national permission. Your state or locality may require recycling for both intact and broken lamps.
Keep Business Lamps Separate
Businesses, schools, landlords, and institutions may manage mercury-containing lamps under federal and state universal-waste or hazardous-waste rules.
Use the organization’s environmental program or an authorized lamp recycler. Do not send commercial lamps to a household collection site unless it expressly accepts that source.