Have you ever wondered what to do with the dead light bulbs in your house? And did you know that there’s a different way to dispose of light bulbs depending on which one you use?
The two most common light bulbs in households are fluorescent and incandescent. When disposing incandescent light bulbs, you should throw them in the trash. They cannot be recycled, but they also are not considered household hazardous waste. Fluorescent light bulbs, however contain mercury, making them household hazardous waste. Orange County residents can ask your hauler if they provide a hazardous waste pick-up service, or take them to one of the County’s four Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centers.
But there’s more to learn about light bulb disposal. The newest type is the LED. It rapidly gained popularity because it expends a lot less energy than its counterparts. For example, they last as much as 25-50 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. Since they use less energy they are more environmentally friendly and in the long run may be more cost-effective for your household. Because LEDs are still a relatively new technology, recycling opportunities for LEDs will need to catch up. For now, your best option to dispose of LEDs is to take them to your local Home Depot, Lowe’s and Ikea. All have recycling programs for these types of light bulbs.
