Character Bound Books

There’s a running dilemma for some surrounding compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) re their housing of mercury, which legitimately is a neurotoxin. One big problem is the lack of a properly educated public re proper disposal.

The head of the Environmental Protection Agency program concedes that not enough has been done to urge people to recycle CFL bulbs and make it easier for them to do so.

“I share your frustration that there isn’t a national infrastructure for the proper recycling of this product,” says Wendy Reed, who manages EPA’s Energy Star program. That programs gives the compact bulbs its “energy star” seal of approval.

Something to consider in this debate though…

She says that even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent bulbs. That’s because they use less electricity — and coal-fired power plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air.

“The compact fluorescent light bulb is a product people can use to positively influence the environment to… prevent mercury emissions as well as greenhouse gas emissions. And it’s something that we can do now — and it’s extremely important that we do do it,” Reed says. “And the positive message is, if you recycle them, if you dispose of them properly, then they’re doing a world of good.”

FYI, here’s a real world solution. Every Home Depot will recycle them for you. And it’s free (pdf). And speaking of free, they’ll be giving away 1 million free CFLs on April 19.