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A friend
of mine has just discovered that energy efficient light
bulbs, or compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's), contain mercury
and cannot be disposed of with your household rubbish.
She then asked me how she should get rid of them, and how to
handle them safely if they are broken. This made me
realise that this information is not readily available when
you buy your light bulbs, and that you could be harming the
environment when you thought you were doing the right thing
by using CFL's.
What is the danger?
All CFL's, and indeed any fluorescent
light bulb that is common in office buildings, contain a
small amount of mercury. While the amount is small,
the increasing use of these light bulbs means that bulbs
that end up in land fill leak increasing levels of mercury
into the land fill sites. Mercury can cause both
chronic and acute poisoning, and can be either inhaled or
absorbed through the skin. This is also an issue if
you do break a light bulb at home.
What do I do if I break a bulb at
home?
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Open
nearby windows for at least 15 minutes to allow the
mercury vapour to dissipate.
-
Have
people and pets leave the room, ensuring the affected
area is not walked over.
-
Turn
off central heating, heat pumps or air conditioning
units.
-
Wear
disposable gloves, dust mask to avoid inhaling mercury
vapour and old clothes and dispose of them in a sealed
plastic bag.
-
Scoop
up glass pieces and powder with stiff paper or cardboard
- place all debris into a glass jar as the vapour can
permeate a plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum cleaner.
-
Wipe
the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet
wipes.
-
Dispose of any clothing or bedding that comes into
direct contact with powder or broken glass.
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Dispose of all items at the hazardous waste area at your
local landfill (or see the links below for locations in
your council area.
How do
I dispose of bulbs that have stopped working?
Depending
on the manufacturer of the bulb you have used, the bulb
should have a life of between 2 and 9 years. Check
with the manufacturer of the bulb for any specific return
policies. Otherwise check with your local council, or
follow the links below to find the location for your area.
Do not let
the disposal risks stop you from using energy efficient
lights bulbs. The benefits to both you and the
environment outweigh the disposal costs and risks.
Auckland - take the bulbs to your local
HazMobile collection site.
Waitakere - either take the bulbs to a
HazMobile collection site, or up
to 5 bulbs can be taken to the refuse and recycling station
for free with proof of residency (eg a utility bill).
Hamilton
Wellington - please contact the council.
Northland - Recycling boxes are available across the
region - please contact your council for locations.
Christchurch
Nelson
Dunedin
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