ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade General Discussion Area Old Lamps

What does everyone do with old lamps, Recycle, Trash ?

TRASH!

LK, do you mean lamps as in table lamps or light bulbs?

Don't think there's much recycling you can do with lightbulbs...especially the fluorescent ones - don't those have mercury vapor in them?

I've heard that some places demand that you treat them as hazardous waste. Can you imagine Joe Homeowner re-lamping the fluorescent strip fixture in his living room and then worrying about how he's going to get rid of the old tubes? Yeah right. Crunch-crack...and in the garbage can they go.

As far as old table and floor lamps are concerned...I rewire them properly and give them away.

I have had to register with the Florida EPA as a hazardous waste handler. I must recycle all flourescent and HID lamps.

Those darned fluorescent lamps cost nearly as much to get rid of as it costs to buy new ones!
It's a shocker to customers when they get a charge for it.
Like Voltron said, they are haz-mat, due to the mercury in them.
I believe we are limited to a maximum of 20 lamps into the trash. (and not 20, then 20 more, 20 more)...S

Voltron:
Just so you're aware, those bulbs may or may not be hazardous waste (more than likely, they are not). You need to run a test known in my industry as a TCLP (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure) for Mercury. If it passes, keep the results in the file and into the dumpster they go. Without testing, by default, they are assumed as hazardous, and you're a waste generator.

The test isn't cheap, maybe $200-300, but if you're paying to dispose of bulbs, it might save some cash, and you aren't on the state's list of generators.

We've been doing this at all our facilities, and so far, all bulbs passed. Save several thousand bucks during relamps. I'm not speaking out of place...this is what I normally do for a "living".

Matt Clark

Recycle/deposit. There are separate bins/boxes for bulbs, flourescent, batteries and one for other things electrical next to the ordinary thrash. EU regulations, I think.

Next year, I understand all the states must have in place a program for disposal of the lamps, the five years run out in 2005.

LK,
I've been involved with a few "Major Relamps" ending up with between 1000 and 20,000 5ft tubes to dispose of.
We can dispose of them at a Regional Station here, free of charge, to dump.
They are then sent to Auckland to be cleaned, melted down and recycled.
Hazmat,
Great to see you're doing your bit for the environment, as well as all you other guys that don't just throw the tubes in the trash!.
Mercury leachates get into the groundwater and poison us all.
It's bad enough having all the other nasty chemicals in our water, without putting them there ourselves!!!!!.

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 02-09-2004).]

Thanks Haz,
FL Lamps may not be disposed in any municipal waste combustor. Generators of > 10 lamps/month must arrange for disposal in
permitted lined landfills or recycling at mercury reclamation facilities. Lamps that are recycled are subject to streamlined,
universal-waste regulations (Chapter 62-737, FAC).
Here's a state by state link- http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/quick_topics/publications/shw/mercury/wastedi.pdf

[This message has been edited by Voltron61 (edited 02-09-2004).]