Pricing depends on the type and size of kit you need. Every kit is a low, flat price that includes the container, prepaid shipping to the recycling center, recycling costs, and a certificate of recycling — with no hidden fees.

Browse pricing for every kit by category in our store:

View all recycling kits & pricing →

Please contact a BulbCycle representative at 858-412-6536 or email us at info@bulbcycle.com. Provide your order number and the unique container number found on the actual recycling kit. Once we have this, we’ll check whether the kit has been processed and email you the certificate of recycling for your order when it’s available.

It takes between 12–15 days to receive your recycling certificate, depending on where your container was shipped and the volume of items waiting to be processed at that time.

Email support@bulbcycle.com with your order number and we’ll get back to you with your tracking information shortly. Shipping is done through FedEx Ground and typically takes 5–10 business days.

Email support@bulbcycle.com with your order number and we’ll get back to you with your tracking information shortly.

Yes, for some types of lamps:

• 4ft fluorescent kits: mix T8 and T12 bulbs that are 4 feet or shorter in a 4ft box.
• 8ft fluorescent kits: mix T8 and T12 bulbs that are 8 feet or shorter in an 8ft box.

Please do not mix non-fluorescent bulbs into the fluorescent kits — we have other kit options available for those.

Yes. The containers have an additional certified lining that keeps the waste contained, so they are perfectly safe to move and ship.

Yes — we have a specific kit for lead-acid batteries only. You can purchase a lead-acid battery disposal kit here. We also offer containers for dry-cell batteries, which hold alkaline, nickel, cadmium, nickel metal hydride, iron, zinc carbon, and silver batteries, as well as AA, AAA, C, D, and 9-volt batteries.

Our kits are primarily designed for unbroken bulbs. However, we understand that some lamps may already be broken or may break during transportation — our recycling partners will still accept them for processing.

It depends on the quantity and types of materials and how much waste you generate. It usually helps to order one more container than you need, so you always have one on-site while the other is being shipped back. Each container has a waste limit listed in the product details — review each recycling kit in our store to see how much it holds.

The diameter of a lamp is measured in eighths of an inch and expressed as a “T” number: T8 equals 8/8’s (one inch) and T12 equals 12/8’s (an inch and a half in diameter).

Our prepaid recycling program covers lamps/bulbs, exit signs, ballasts, batteries, electronics, and thermostats. Each low-priced kit includes a container, all shipping costs to the recycling center, recycling costs, and a certificate of recycling. You’ll receive your container(s) in 3–9 business days and have one year to return them to us. To pay by invoice with net payment terms and purchase orders, ask our representatives about our vendor program forms.

Place your order online or over the phone. View all of our kits here or reach us at 858-412-6536.

• Intact lamps: keep them taped together to reduce breakage — ideally in the boxes they came in.
• Crushed lamps: store in a locked steel 55-gallon drum with a locking ring, with no other items inside.
• Ballasts: place non-leaking ballasts in a plastic bag or liner in a locked 55-gallon steel drum, with no other items inside.
• Batteries: sort by type and secure in a box or bag to reduce spilling (many use a 5–10 gallon bucket). Lay large batteries carefully on pallets with cardboard over the terminals of each row, and make sure nothing is leaking.
• Computers: store e-waste in large gaylord boxes or on pallets, shrink-wrapped and properly secured.

For regular shipping: yes — you’ll need to know how many items you have so you can purchase the appropriate size and amount of boxes.

For bulk pickups: no — we count the lamps for you and bill you for the exact amount.

Once filled, call the FedEx number attached to each box or go to fedex.com/grd/rpp and set up a pickup using the tracking number printed on the red label of your kit. FedEx will come to your location and pick them up free of charge.

Yes — our mail-back kits can be used with tanning bed bulbs.

BulbCycle complies with state packaging and labeling requirements. Each state has different standards and often requires special boxes/kits to mail universal waste.

In most states it is illegal to throw lamps and bulbs away with your normal trash. Bulbs and lamps contain mercury, which is highly toxic, and several states ban the disposal of hazardous bulbs in solid waste landfills.

We accept credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, and purchase orders.

Our terms and conditions can be found here.

Contact us at support@bulbcycle.com or 858-412-6536 and explain your situation. We’re happy to help.

Depending on your distance from our distribution center, you should receive your container(s) in 5–10 business days.

BulbCycle is a national leader in lightbulb recycling technology, partnered with the largest processors of lightbulbs in the country. Our outstanding customer satisfaction, customer service, and national programs have earned us long-term repeat customers, and we offer a wide range of recycling and disposal services. Call us today with any questions: 858-412-6536.

BulbCycle offers a variety of prepaid mail-back containers for recycling and disposal of fluorescent bulbs, broken lamps, CFLs, other light products, computer waste, electronics (e-waste), batteries, mercury waste, and exit signs. We also offer bulk pickups from your location — email info@bulbcycle.com for more information about onsite bulk pickups.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, we service all of North America for crushed lamps as well as intact lamps, ballasts, batteries, and computer hardware. We’ve partnered with some of the largest disposal and recycling companies in the country and offer very affordable rates. Each partner facility is licensed to handle hazardous waste and provides certificates confirming proper recycling in accordance with EPA regulations.

Contact BulbCycle at 858-412-6536. We work with many different vendors — give us a call today to learn more.

BulbCycle processes all client waste with licensed partner facilities within the United States. When a battery is recycled, it is sorted by type and placed into bins for reclamation, cancellation, and recycling.

When your waste reaches us, all material is recycled and disposed of using machines that break apart and separate the different types of materials. For bulbs, once the glass is cleared of all mercury and other materials it is reused to make other products. Once the bulbs are fully processed, a recycling certificate is generated for your records.

Our recycling kits are processed at several permitted recycling facilities throughout the United States. We have partners in each state, and your waste is shipped to the partner closest to you.

Please contact our customer service line for more information at 858-412-6536 or email info@bulbcycle.com.

Universal waste consists of specific hazardous materials regulated under alternative waste management rules. These items are commonly found across industries and must be handled properly to ensure environmental safety.

Categories of universal waste

• Devices containing elemental mercury — thermostats, switches, thermometers, manometers, barometers, and some medical devices.
• Lamps — fluorescent, high-intensity discharge (HID), sodium vapor, mercury vapor, neon, and incandescent lamps.
• Batteries — spent dry-cell and lead-acid batteries.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) — dust, flat-fold, isolation, and procedural masks and respirators (such as N95), plus latex, nitrile, vinyl, and plastic disposable gloves.
• Pesticides — specific pesticides that have been suspended, canceled, or remain unused.

Proper disposal and recycling of universal waste helps reduce environmental hazards while ensuring compliance with waste management regulations.

The most useful way to learn if your waste is considered hazardous is the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) test. Fluorescent bulbs and their broken fragments fail the TCLP test and are considered hazardous waste. Other hazardous items we offer recycling kits for include (but are not limited to) ballasts, CFLs, U-Bend bulbs, HID bulbs, dry-cell batteries, and alkaline batteries.

Organizations should manage their spent lamps and bulbs as hazardous waste in accordance with federal, state, and local requirements.

Mercury is commonly found in fluorescent and other types of lamps. A broken lamp releases mercury into the air, ground, and possibly groundwater. It also accumulates in the living tissue of animals and humans, and in large enough amounts can cause serious health conditions.