Light Bulbs (Fluorescent / CFL) Alternative ways to recycle Illegal in Garbage, Recycling & Drains Hazardous Waste Recycle More Program Household fluorescent bulbs and tubes are now accepted on the Recycle More program – schedule your free pickup! Must be placed in a box for pickup — no loose bulbs or tubes. Reuse a box that you have, or contact us at 707-255-5200 if you need a box for your tubes. You can reuse any box for the CFL bulbs. Residents may set out compact fluorescent bulbs and tubes of up to 4 ft. in length. Tubes over 4′ must be brought to the Hazardous Waste Facility. Businesses must call 1-800-984-9661 for an appointment to bring bulbs and tubes to the Hazardous Waste Facility. Drop-Off Options: Household-generated fluorescent bulbs and tubes (up to 4′) are also accepted at the following Napa County locations. Please note that business-generated bulbs/tubes and all tubes over 4′ in length must be brought to the Hazardous Waste Facility. Outdoor Supply Hardware3980 Bel Aire Plaza, Napa | (707) 690-0366 Napa Electric2240 Brown St, Napa | (707) 252-6611 Ace Hardware – Howell Mountain15 Angwin Plaza, Angwin | (707) 965-7537 Clover Flat Landfill4380 Silverado Trail, Calistoga | (707) 963-7988 Hazardous Waste Collection Facility – all lengths of tubes accepted889A Devlin Road, American Canyon | 1-800-984-9661 Home Depot — CFLs Only — No Fluorescent Tubes225 Soscol Ave, Napa | (707) 251-0162 Steve’s Hardware1370 Main St, St. Helena | (707) 963-3424 Never Throw in the Garbage Fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury, which is a hazard for your health and the environment. Never throw them away. Store them outside in a sealed container, and dispose of them as hazardous waste. Air Out Room if Bulb Breaks Broken CFL bulbs can release mercury vapor. If one breaks, clear people and pets out of the room, and then air it out for five to ten minutes. To stop the vapor from spreading, also shut off the heat, ventilation and air-conditioning. Avoid Vacuuming if Possible Don’t use a vacuum to clean up because this can spread the mercury powder from a broken CFL bulb. Instead, sweep up broken pieces with cardboard or paper. If there are any leftover shards of glass, use a piece of tape to pick them up. Identifying a CFL Bulb If you are unsure if your bulb is CFL, check if your bulb is listed with these other CFL bulbs: linear, U-tube and circline fluorescent tubes, bug zappers, tanning bulbs, black lights, germicidal bulbs, high output bulbs and cold-cathode fluorescent bulbs. Alternative Ways to Recycle Recycle at Lowe's Lowe’s accepts rechargeable batteries and CFLs at any of their store locations for free recycling. Find the nearest store. Recycle at Home Depot Home Depot accepts CFL bulbs for recycling, though not all locations accept fluorescent tubes or LED light bulbs. Call ahead if you are trying to dispose of a fluorescent tube or LED bulb. Batteries Plus Bulbs Recycling Services Batteries Plus Bulbs accepts a wide variety of batteries and light bulbs for recycling, including CFLs and fluorescent tubes. See a full list of items they accept here. Depending on the item, a small fee may apply. Find your closest location. Find a CFL Recycler Use this search tool by RecycleABulb.com to find a CFL bulb recycler close to you. Mail-Back Programs There are a number of organizations that sell mail-back kits for fluorescent and CFL light bulbs. The cost of each kit includes shipping charges. Check out this list of programs on the EPA’s website to get started. Did You Know? Which Bulbs Are More Energy Efficient Than Incandescent Lamps? LED lights are more energy efficient than incandescent and CFL bulbs: They last 50 times as long as traditional incandescent bulb and use 80 percent less energy. Fluorescent bulbs last three to 25 times longer than incandescents and use anywhere between 20 and 80 percent less energy.
