Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs or CFL's are a great way to reduce your electricity bill while lessening your carbon footprint. However, these types of bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and should be handled carefully and disposed of properly at all times.
Intact CFL bulbs may be taken to any Home Depot, Lowes, Ikea or Batteries + Bulbs stores for free proper disposal and recycling. Residents may also drop off CFL bulbs at any
county-sponsored household hazardous waste event for free disposal and recycling.
Please DO NOT throw them in the trash. Nationwide, over 670 million mercury-containing bulbs are discarded improperly each year. In Montgomery County most of these bulbs are ultimately land filled or incinerated. These disposal methods can lead to a release of mercury into the environment through breakage and leakage and ultimately contaminate the food chain.