How To Dispose Of The Globes Used In Energy Saving Lighting

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are the names given to the globes that are commonly used in energy saving lighting around the house. Disposing of these lights when you no longer need them, however, is highly important, as they contain a small amount of mercury that could prove dangerous if not handled correctly. These instructions should help you dispose of energy saving globes in the right way:

Burnt Out Globes
Locate your nearest recycling centre that also handles hazardous materials; make sure that they accept old CFLs. Follow any instructions that the employees of the centre give you, including how you should package the globes for recycling.
If you have no other option, place the light inside two plastic bags or one thick freezer bag, then put it into your rubbish bin.

Broken Globes
Open a window and leave the room, ensuring that no one enters it for at least 15 minutes. Then, go back in and collect the fragments of glass and powder using a piece of stiff paper or cardboard – never use a vacuum cleaner. Clean the entire area using a wet wipe or wet paper towel, then use a piece of sticky tape to ensure that all excess powder has been collected.
Place all of the CFL pieces that you have collected (as well as any cleaning materials, such as the wet ones) into a plastic bag. Dispose of this bag in the same way you would a burnt out globe.

Whilst the CFLs used in many of the energy saving lighting fixtures in our homes are highly beneficial in lessening our energy use and lowering our electricity bills, the small amounts of mercury that they contain can be harmful if the globes are not disposed of correctly. Follow the above instructions whenever you need new CFLs.

What Is The Difference Between Globes Used In Regular And Energy Saving Lighting?

These days, being environmentally sustainable and saving money is of great concern to many homeowners, which has led to an increase in the number of energy saving lighting products on the market. But how do the globes used in these fixtures differ to the globes used in our regular ones? Is it really that beneficial to change to energy efficient fixtures?

Incandescent Globes

These are the globes used inside our regular lighting fixtures and, according to popular belief, they have changed little since they were invented. It is estimated that these globes require 70% more electricity to operate as energy saving globes do.

Compact Fluorescent Globes (CFLs)

These were some of the first environmentally friendly globes to be released on the market. They are known to use less electricity than their incandescent counterparts and to last up to 10 times as long, which makes up for their more expensive shelf costs.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

These are some of the newest energy efficient globes to have hit our shelves and offer some considerable improvements on even CFL lighting. They are said to be twice as efficient, to last longer and to cost less to run over time (even though they are substantially more expensive).

Even though both the CFLs and LEDs are considered to be the more expensive options when it comes to choosing globes for your energy saving lighting fixtures, it is important to take into account that their lower running costs and lesser amount of replacements more than make up for these costs. At the end of the day, making the energy efficient choice not only benefits the environment – it gives your wallet a rest, too.