While compact flourescent bulbs last longer and are more efficient than incandescent bulbs, proper disposal at the end of their life span is not so simple. The California Department of Toxic Substances Control has banned CFLs from dipsosal in landfills because they contain mercury which is harmful to human tissues. Thus consumers and municipalities are faced with the challenge of safe recycling and disposal methods for spent bulbs. Jennifer Olney of KGO San Francisco writes:

...there is no statewide plan for handling fluorescents when they burn out. You are supposed to recycle them. But you can't throw them in a cart with the rest of your recycling because they might break and the mercury would escape.

That means local governments are left holding the bag, trying to figure out how to make it convenient for people to recycle fluorescents -- and how to pay for it.

Read the whole article>>>

CAW & CFLs

In 2007, CAW sponsored AB 1109 by Assembly Member Jared Huffman(San Rafael) was signed by the Governor. One provision of this bill required the Department of Toxic Substances Control to create a task force to make recommendations to be delivered to the Legislature by September 1, 2008 on the most effective and cost-effective method for collecting and recycling end-of-life light bulbs. CAW is a member on this task force.

Need to recycle your CFLs. Find a location here>>

New studies have shown that under certain conditions, broken compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) can pose a health risk because most contain small amounts of mercury. A new report from the Mercury Policy Project reveals that although breakage can occur, CFLs should still be used in the home.

"People should feel perfectly comfortable buying and using compact fluorescent lamps in their homes," said Bill Magavern, Director of Sierra Club California. "CFLs play an important role in increasing efficiency, cutting home energy costs and curbing global warming. Just as with many other household products, consumers should take some precautions if a bulb happens to break or when it's time to recycle one," Magavern added.

Read the complete press release.

The report, "Shedding Light on Mercury Risks from CFL Breakage," does recommend adopting more comprehensive guidelines to address toxicity in lighting and responisble managment (i.e. recycling). In California, CFLs have been classified as universal waste and thus cannot be thrown in the trash but must instead, be properly recycled. In 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger signed CAW sponsored, AB 1109 (Huffman), a comprehensive bill addressing these issues by requiring reductions in energy usage for lighting, encourage the use of more efficient lighting technologies, reduce hazardous waste in lighting and creating a task force to address better recycling opportunities.

CAW is on the DTSC's AB 1109 Task Force that will first meet this coming Tuesday, March 4, to discuss recycling solutions to the mercury CFL problem.

Read the complete report, "Shedding Light on Mercury Risks from CFL Breakage."

What You Can Do

In 2000, the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) officially adopted new regulations for universal waste, deeming them to be hazardous to people and the environment. Universal wastes encompass a variety of devices (including fluorescent lamps, cathode ray tubes (such as computer monitors and TVs), batteries, etc...) that usually contain mercury, lead, cadmium, and copper. This category is a subset under all hazardous wastes.

In 2001, DTSC declared all wastes containing cathode ray tubes (CRTs) to be toxic and were thus banned from landfill disposal. In August 2001, the DTSC adopted emergency regulations reducing some hazardous waste requirements to make it easier to collect, store and recycle CRTs.

Since February 8, 2002, California's Universal Waste Rule has been in effect by prohibiting the disposal of universal wastes, including a wide range of toxic electronic devices, which has been added to since then an now includes a variety of consumer electronics as well.

The initial rule; however, established a temporary exemption for households and some small quantity generators, who were thus allowed to dispose fluorescent lamps, some batteries, mercury thermostats, and electronic devices to the trash unless forbidden by local solid waste authorities until February 8, 2006. On February 9, 2006, this exemption ended and DTSC effectively banned all universal wastes from trash.

The policy affects thousands of consumer electronic devices and the disposal of the more than 515,000 tons of toxic electronic wastes that are currently landfilled in California. This includes such items as: all household batteries, cell phones, computers, fluorescent lamps, mercury switches and thermostats, answering machines, printers, radios, microwaves, TVs, VCRs, and non-empty aerosol cans. Such wastes must now be separated from landfills and recycled properly.

While state policy makers and the legislature have supported a handful of recycling policies targeting some devices (computer monitors and televisions, cell phones and rechargeable batteries), little awareness and few recycling opportunities exist for most toxic electronic devices.

What You Can Do

A study conducted by the Toxics in Packaging Clearing House for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control and others finds that over 60% of PVC packaging is in violation of California's Toxics In Packaging Prevention Act, which was passed in 2003 as AB 455 (Chu) and went into effect in 2006. The law restricts the use of Lead, Cadmium, Mercury or Chromium in all packaging sold in California. PVC retail packaging was the worst offender, with over 61% of packaging in violation of the Act, some with levels of heavy metals over 9 times what is allowed.

Read the Report>>

In addition to the prevalent use of toxic heavy metals, PVC is manufactured with several known carcinogens and have been known to off-gas dioxins, phthalates and hydrogen chloride gas. Recently, Wal-Mart and Microsoft joined the long list of companies that do not carry or use PVC packaging. Germany, Spain and Sweden are all phasing out the use of PVC.

Additional Information:

• CHEJ PVC Campaign
• DTSC: Toxics In Packaging Prevention Act