Sure they save energy — lots of it. And kudos to you for changing all your incandescents to compact fluorescents. But…there is that pesky little problem with mercury. While CFLs contain a teensy amount — about enough to cover the tip of the pen — it’s enough to contaminate anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 gallons of water (depending of whether you’re using low-mercury versions or not). So a broken CFL isn’t as simple as sweeping the pieces up and tossing.
So what can you do? Fortunately, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers up some advice. Please don’t use this as an excuse to stick with those incandescents which, incidentally, are a better source of heat than light. Just install and remove CFLs carefully — and dispose of them responsibly (IKEA takes them back, for example) and you’ll never have to use the following:
fore cleanup: Vent the room
1. Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.
2. Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
Cleanup steps for hard surfaces
3. Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the glass jar or plastic bag.
6. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
Cleanup steps for carpeting or rug
3. Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.
5. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.
6. Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
Disposal of cleanup materials
7. Immediately place all cleanup materials outside the building in a trash container or outdoor protected area for the next normal trash.
8. Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing cleanup materials.
9. Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a recycling center.
Future cleaning of carpeting or rug
10. For at least the next few times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.
11. Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed. (Source: U.S. EPA)