Compact Flourescent Bulbs have been around for a while and they are a great way to save energy. Plain and simple, they use less power and they have a longer lifespan than conventional bulbs. Despite these attributes, there has been some resistance to CFLs. In fact, some have advocated against using these new fangled bulbs. The reason for the resistance is mercury. All flourescent bulbs use small amounts of mercury. Because of the mercury, the bulbs should be recycled, but frankly there has been little in the way of recycling infrastructure. Some smaller hardware stores offer cfl recycling and larger chains like Walmart will periodically have CFL recycling days.
Today's New York Times offered good news for CFL proponents. Home Depot will offer CFL recycling at all of its stores throughout the United States. This brings CFL recycling within a ten mile radius of a vast majority of Americans. For those that are concerned about accidentally breaking bulbs, the EPA offers a safe guide to CFL clean up. For those that have had their doubts on CFLs, I hope this brings you one step closer to replacing your conventional bulbs. Energy conservation makes sense and cents in this day and age.
Comments(1)