Legal recycling requirements

Many states require lamp recycling and proper disposal of ballasts, batteries, and e-waste by law. Since the EPA's lamp regulation took effect in 2000, most non-residential facilities are required to properly dispose of their lamps — and lamps later found in landfills can trigger retroactive clean-up costs under CERCLA. Recycling of lamp components is the EPA-recommended method of disposal and helps minimize facility liability.

Every returned container comes with a certificate of recycling, emailed to you and stored in your account history — keeping you compliant with all state and federal regulations. Check your state regulations or the federal EPA universal waste guidance.

It protects the environment

Fluorescent lamps contain mercury, and ballasts, batteries, and electronic waste can contain mercury, lead, and other metals that harm the environment if not recycled. A single four-foot fluorescent tube holds 5–50 mg of mercury. When lamps are landfilled or incinerated, mercury vapor is released that can travel over 200 miles — it's highly toxic to the human nervous system and kidneys, and it crosses the placental barrier.

• ~600 million fluorescent lamps are landfilled in the U.S. each year — about 30,000 lbs of mercury waste.
• 187 incinerators nationwide emit roughly 70,000 lbs of mercury into the environment annually.
• Mercury-containing lamps have been on the EPA's list of hazardous substances since 1992.

Recycling is cost-effective

Over a lamp's lifecycle, the cost to recycle is less than 1% of total cost of ownership — and it's a guaranteed way to avoid fines and enforcement actions that can easily exceed the cost of recycling. Sending intact lamps to a reputable recycler keeps an estimated 99.6%+ of mercury out of the air.

It's a green idea

A lamp, ballast, battery, or electronics recycling program is a simple, low-cost way to "green" your organization — and benefit from the positive PR. It supports employee and customer loyalty and morale, and recycling mercury-containing lamps, batteries, and e-waste can help your facility meet LEED prerequisites, earn points, and achieve certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

You can make a difference

Recycling your lamps and other universal waste is simply the right thing to do. As the saying goes, every little bit counts — and keeping hazardous waste out of our landfills while reusing natural resources is a big step toward a more sustainable world.