mercury and fluorescent bulbs

[smilla4]

I've been reading a bit about this to see if anything had changed. Apparently they're still considered hazardous waste since they contain mercury (along with mercury thermometers).

Here's one site about it:
http://www.mass.gov/dep/files/lamps.htm
http://www.mass.gov/dep/files/flampbiz.htm .

It doesn't state when the info was last updated. I hate that. A couple articles I read on the epa site were from '97.

Who actually takes their bulbs to a hazardous waste collection site?

 

[William]

Who actually deals with any hazardous waste?

People dump used oil down storm drains, old gas in their back yards, throw old paint buckets into the forest.

I'd consider it lucky that they even put them in with the trash.




Seriously, man. Even where I used to work, at a HEALTH CARE facility, the matienence people would just break the bulbs in the back of the building, sweep up the glass and throw it in hte dumpster.

 

[QTOFFER]

I had a bottle of nitrate test solution that contains toxic cadmium. I tried to be a good citizen and I called the NYC Dept of Sanitation to find out how to properly dispose of it. After 15 minutes on hold, I learned that the only site that collects such waster in my borough is 10 miles away in a section of town that has spotty bus service (I don't have a car). I figured it would take me 3 hours to get there and back. In addition, they are only open on two weekdays and on Saturday for 4 hours. And I would need to bring two pieces of ID. Could they make this any more inconvenient? I'm not condoning the practice, but no wonder people dump garbage.

I put the bottle in a paper bag, labeled it "toxic chemical", and put it in my building's garbage room. Maybe the super will dispose of it properly...I doubt it.