I’m really curious as to the general feeling of the incandescent lamp ban among the JimOnLight.com Community. Simple polling among the 18-25 year olds where I am in the country seems to prove that most people either A) don’t have any idea what it is at all or B) they don’t really care either way, which is even more disappointing than them not knowing at all.
How do YOU feel about the systematic forced obsolescence of the incandescent lamp in our world?
(Hey, if you’re an RSS reader, could you come over and take the poll? I’d greatly appreciate it!)
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
The ban doesn’t matter, for the most part. It doesn’t ban incandescents, it just sets a certain standard for lumens per watt that lights must reach. Plus, there are a number of exceptions to the ban. Sure, some of your incandescent lights will disappear, but for the most part, you aren’t going to notice the switch.
Tim, good morning!
I disagree though – the standard is completely worthless and based on nothing. Right now there are bans against certain wattages, and yesterday for example I received a package in the mail with two of Philips’ EcoAdvantage lamps in them. What are they, you might be asking yourself? Well, they’re halogen capsules spot welded to an A-19 lamp frame, and poorly so.
This ban (and by BAN I do mean the systematic phasing out of incandescent lamps, wattage at a time) is as political and lobbyist friendly as military matters are. Solve the problem, not create other problems to solve later.
Regardless, what kinds of incandescents do you use in your home? Does this affect you at all perceivably right now?
I disagree with Tim. The insance lumens per watt does ban the incandescents. Simple. Hey, come to Australia oops sorry “Hellstrallia”. Then you will understand. And you will NOTICE the switch. Incandescent light comes from the light of heated object producing billions of frequencies. It is high quality light. CFL / Fluorescent / white-LED are a completely different beast. They only have about 5 different frequencies. They are harsh, cold, uninviting, unromantic, aggressive, offensive kind of lighting. I am sick of hearing the LIE propagated that their the standard imposed is not a ban. There is no difference. And WHO writes these idiotic standards. That’s right the Lighting Cartel. Go do your research. And in Australia they upped the minimum lighting level in buildings again. It is so bright and annoying in shopping centers for example in “Hellstralia”. Cheers, Ron Lentjes.
Incandescent have the advantage that they work in the cold. If any other kind is in the garage in the winter or even our kitchen and it gets chilly they take forever to turn on. One of the great things about electric lights is I flip a switch and they come on. If I have to wait, what is the point?
I feel there isn’t a choice in the pole that really represents my feelings on the topic. While I can appreciate we don’t want our choices as lighting folk limited by arbitrary efficiency requirements, I seriously doubt the price of an HPL575 is going to appreciably rise until a time where we as an industry have already moved away from incandescents of our own accord (LED’s and arc sources are pretty clearly leading the charge). The incandescent light hasn’t had a major breakthrough since the introduction of Tungsten/Halogens, while LED’s are getting better and better literally every day, it’s only a matter of time. So until the incandescent ban materially impacts my job as a lighting designer, I have a hard time getting up in arms about it. I assume (a dangerous thing, I know) that the ban is intended to move everyday Americans away from incandescents which we must admit waste a huge amount of electricity. Now being an aforementioned average American I continue to have the same apathetic attitude, I personally do not have any incandescent lamps in my home, I’ve moved over to dimmable LED’s for my home lighting. The color temperature is fine and the CRI is certainly good enough for task lighting. Don’t get me wrong though, I don’t hate incandescents, far from it, nothing yet on the market matches the warm glow of a standard A lamp, but at the end of the day I really find it hard to care that the CVS down the road won’t carry 100watt A lamps anymore.
Let’s be clear about what’s been legislated out, here. It’s just 100W, 75W, and eventually 60W incandescent A lamps. Your incandescnet R lamps are still legal. As far as I know your 3-way lamps are still legal.
The discontinued lamps can be comfortably replaced with halogen alternatives at lower wattage, higher lumen rating & longer life. Sure, the halogens cost a bit more (but still <$5 each), but it's not like you have to go to CF (which, let's be clear, was lousy when it first arrived, but has come a long way) or LED (the top end of which is beautiful, but expensive, and the bottom end of which can still be crummy). Halogen solves @thedarkwaffle's problem about instant on. It's 100 CRI. It's dimmable by whatever means your incandescents are.
Our halogen stage lamps aren't going away. Our halogen household lamps aren't going away. Sure, 10-20 years down the road we might have to fight this battle about halogen, but it's not even on the table at this point.
The government has been in the business of discontinuing lamps for a long time now. T12 is basically dead. The older generation of R & BR lamps are dead. The market needs an occasional push to discontinue cheap, but popular & entrenched technologies in favor of moderately more expensive but vastly superior technologies. That's what's going on here. We should welcome this push towards better sources. In the long run it means cheaper power & less CO2 & Mercury emissions in our atmosphere. It might mean that at some point we have a hard time sourcing the a-lamp we want for our practicals on stage, but that's the least of my worries.
My house is lit almost completely with CFLs [Wife won’t let me hang the Fresnels. 🙂 ], so I don’t really have a dog in this hunt.
Our house was built in the ’60s. Wasting electricity from our lamps is the least of our concerns. Little insulation (in Texas!), no radiant barrier, only window a/c units, etc. waste much more energy than the the incandescents would.
While I am more libertarian than most, I don’t have a problem with the gov legislating things that will make the world better, generally speaking.
However, this seems to be the wrong place to start and won’t make a noticeable difference, especially with those of us who are “wired” and have computers, monitors, etc. always on that eat up way more juice.
Didn’t a company in Germany or Australia circumvent the ban by marketing the incandescents as “heat sources”?
This is the government taking away consumer choice without discussion.
How are CFL bulbs an improvement over the incandescent?
1). For the same amount of energy used, the incandescent bulb is brighter than the CFL.
2). Switching a CFL bulb on and off with the same frequency as a incandescent wears them out quicker.
3). It takes more energy and time to start up a CFL bulb.
4). CFL bulbs do not like cold weather.
5). CFL bulbs contain mercury gas and are a hazard to consumers if ever broken.
6). The color spectrum of the CFL bulb is incomplete.
The CFL bulb not only costs more but are in reality inefficient compared to the incandescent for what it does. The only company that has taken the initiative to improve the incandescent bulb has been Phillips Lighting. Manufacturers are pushing development of the LED bulb but those higher costs will end up being absorbed by the consumer. The CFL bulb is not an improvement over the incandescent bulb and any actual improvements should always be free market driven.
There’s no incandescent ban. You’ll still be able to get halogens. If you don’t like the whiter light of halogens, you can always just dim them a bit, and they’ll look just like old-fashioned incandescents, albeit they’ll lose some of the bulb life advantage of halogens.
The future is LED bulbs. The first good ones are starting to go on sale and the light looks like the light of incandescents, though the CRI isn’t as high, which is probably of importance only to people doing critical color matching work. Still pricey at $40-50, but that should come down to $10 within five years and even at the higher price they’ll rapidly pay for themselves in areas where they’re used more than a few hours a day (it costs about $100 a year to run a 100 watt incandescent 24 hours per day, maybe $20 a year to run an LED bulb of comparable brightness).
> This is the government taking away consumer choice without discussion.
No, the whole law/rule making process involves plenty of discussion.
> 1). For the same amount of energy used, the incandescent bulb is brighter than the CFL.
An astonishing claim, one for which I cannot imagine any reasonable justification. I’d love to hear this one …
> 2). Switching a CFL bulb on and off with the same frequency as a incandescent wears them out quicker.
Actually, thermal cycling is not good for incandescents, either. This is irrelevant for most applications.
> 5). CFL bulbs contain mercury gas and are a hazard to consumers if ever broken.
The amount of mercury is being steadily reduced. At current levels, the amount of mercury in a CFL is many times less than the mercury that would be emitted by a fossil fuel power plant to generate the extra power needed to light the many incandescents needed versus the power consumed by a single CFL.
> 6). The color spectrum of the CFL bulb is incomplete.
Yes, but …. in my opinion the more expensive CFLs (still vastly cheaper life cycle cost than incandescents) look as good.
Reading between the lines, I imagine the poster might have no problem with CFLs but believes the market should decide. And that’s a pretty reasonable position PROVIDING that the market adequately reflect the costs of each alternative.
Unfortunately, it is a fact that the cost of fossil fuel generated electricity is much higher than what is charged … the unrecovered costs in health (how many million Americans have asthma?), environmental degradation (acid rain, anyone?), and climate change would clearly make electricity more expensive if users paid them …. but we don’t have the political will in this country for people to pay real costs. I am all for giving people their choices … if they pay the real costs up front. Otherwise, they are just shifting part of their costs to everyone else. Freeloading.
Since we don’t have to the will to make people pay the true cost, the only way to limit the amount of those costs shifted onto others is to limit waste with measures like controling lightbulb technology, minimum fuel economy requirements for cars, etc.
Watch this. Seriously.
The Light Bulb Conspiracy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5DCwN28y8o&feature=endscreen&NR=1
Cheers, Ron Lentjes
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
What is Incandescence?
Incandescence is the light produced by a heated object. This light contains BILLIONS of frequencies. It is the highest quality of light you can get.
How NOT to save energy:
– Using light source that cause a disturbing effect on people and environment around them. These sources are cold, aggressive, eerie forms of lighting. These include CFL, Fluorescent, and white-LED.
How TO save energy:
– Solar power
– Wind power
– Turn off electrical when not in use
– Use light dimmers (on INCANDESCENT lights)
(Note: Modern light dimmers use a TRIAC and no rheostat (have not heard that word for 20 years or so). They are VERY efficient. I use trailing edge dimmers and these dimmers also slowly turn on the light (dark to dimmer setting in about 2 secs) to further prolong the life of your INCANDESCENT. Do not be fooled by some of the current false news about light dimmers. They are efficient).
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
HOW TO STOP THE BAN OF INCANDESCENTS
– If a store so much as starts banning just one kind of light (they will start with 100W first), then immediately email and write to them:
“Since you have banned my choice of light bulbs, I will no longer purchase any items from your store. YOU ARE BANNED.
This ban will not be lifted until all 40W, 60W, 75W, 100W STANDARD INCANDESCENT clear and frosted BULBS / GLOBES are returned to the shelves. Have a good day.”
And then get 5 other friends who will each tell 5 other friends to do the same.
– Speak directly to everyone everyday about this issue. Make sure the entire world is saved from this disaster.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
What is wrong with ‘efficient lights’?
– CFL / FLU / white-LED give off a light that is simply unpleasant
– Too bright, Too white halogens are also annoying
– In lighting, more efficient than STANDARD INCANDESCENT just leads to very undesirable light
– Do you paint your walls with pure white? or with cold-off-white? I hope not. If you want comfort, you paint with warm-off-white (the yellow and reds). Just like you would choose an INCANDESCENT (reddish to yellowish-white).
– CFL is cold light (you can try to filter it and get ‘warm’ but there is a reason why this does not work). White-LED is also cold and eerie.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
Why is INCANDESCENT best source of light:
CFL / FLU / white-LED produces about 5 peaks of light frequencies:
(IR) ____|______|____|__|_______|_____|___ (UV)
(graph looks like dead trees with little fill in)
This is terrible light. And it is summed to a BLUE area of light. Very annoying. Very toxic. Hard to concentrate. Uninviting. Unnatural effect
Fire-place Light, Candle-Light, Incandescent-Light has BILLIONS of frequencies
______________________________
###############################
###################################__
The area between the top curve and the base is full of frequencies. It is TOP QUALITY light that is created by HEATING AN OBJECT. This is why it takes a bit more energy to get this quality light.
You can dim it and is calm.
Your eyes see RED / GREEN / BLUE differently according to DNA. EVERYONE will see the COLOR COMPOSITION OF CFL / FLU / LED differently due to the spikes mismatch.
Not true for INCANDESCENCE. All FREQUENCIES exist so we see all there is for any combination of human DNA RED / GREEN / BLUE receptors.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
EVERYTHING IN YOUR ROOM is lit by the light you choose. All this light is reflected, refracted, filtered, so on. It lights your ceiling, floors, sofas, coffee table, clothes, pictures, everything. If you start off with bad light you get strange results. Only full-body INCANDESCENCE can deliver the BILLIONS of frequencies required!
Try RED filter on white-LED. Result is odd BLUE / PURPLE / REDDISH. True test of bad light.
Try RED filter on INCANDESCENT. Result is awesome pure RED amazing light!
I strongly recommend only using STANDARD INCANDESCENTS. You can use the 30% efficient halogen bulbs but it certainly is not as aesthetically pleasing due to internal glass and many also have a metal clip. It really is a waist of effort just to get 30% (I have measured 25% on one).
STANDARD INCANDESCENT is far cheaper to produce and extremely easy to recycle.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
Please note that this BAN is NOT really about SAVING ENERGY.
It is a marketing plan as any other. Make the competing product look bad. Make the new product look better. Plant propaganda to make you feel bad by not going for the new product. Nothing new under the sun here. Marketing 101.
Philips wants to push their baby the CFL so on. A 2003 study showed that take up was only 2.5% for Americans who kept going back to the more pleasing light of the INCANDESCENT bulb. So to cut the story short, the INCANDESCENT was banned to further the sale of other lights (Philips, Osram, GE, LED Industry all would like to have more sales).
The INCANDESCENT is our most important form of calm lighting. It is easy to make and recycle. It is easy to hook up to DC and AC and batteries.
The only other sources for this quality light is Fire-place Light, Candle-Light, Kerosene-Lamp Light.
Don’t let $$$PROFITS$$$ and $$$GREED$$$ ruin your country.
Example Australia. Now “Hellstralia” for its bad lighting.
—–
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
This BAN is ABOUT $$$PROFIT$$$. Trust me. If you put a kink in their profits, they will complain with greater effect than a mere single citizen to Philips/Osram/GE. If they can only make a profit by selling INCANDESCENTS, guess what follows. Its not rocket science but you have to do as I say or it will not work.
I am for all citizens in the world to have the best and most pleasing form of lighting. Your lighting environment effects how you feel and behave. Their is no excuse for bad lighting. CFL/FLU/white-LED are aggressive, unnatural, dangerous, uninviting, hard-to-concentrate-under “Light for the dead” kind of lighting.
INCANDESCENT is calm, inviting, friendly, romantic, warm, comfortable, safe, “Light for the living” kind of lighting.
For God and Country. America (and the rest of the world). Do not let them take about your INCANDESCENT lighting!
You will regret it!
Come visit Australia. I don’t travel Australia anymore.
Australia has such bad and uninviting cold lighting everywhere including hotels, motels, restaurants, coffee shops, shopping centers, so on. Even the street lights have a mix of good and horrible white lighting (it only lights the rain, quite dangerous).
Oh sorry, its now called “Hellstralia”.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
How NOT to STOP THE BAN OF INCANDESCENTS
– Sit on your sorry ass crying
– Sign up for all petitions (just doesn’t go anywhere)
– Write to the government (usually just ends up in the waist bin)
HOW TO STOP THE BAN OF INCANDESCENTS
– Speak directly to everyone
– If a store so much as starts banning just one kind of light (they will start with 100W first), then immediately email and write to them:
“Since you have banned my choice of light bulbs, I will no longer purchase any items from your store. YOU ARE BANNED.
This ban will not be lifted until all 40W, 60W, 75W, 100W STANDARD INCANDESCENT clear and frosted BULBS/GLOBES are returned to the shelves. Have a good day.”
And then get 5 other friends who will each tell 5 other friends to do the same.
This BAN is ABOUT $$$PROFIT$$$. Trust me. If you put a kink in their profits, they will complain with greater effect than a mere single citizen to Philips/Osram/GE. If they can only make a profit by selling INCANDESCENTS, guess what follows. Its not rocket science but you have to do as I say or it will not work.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
You want efficiency only and trade it for bad lighting? Just visit Australia. A complete wreck of a place.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
If you need a REST from the bad lighting from CFL or Fluorescents or white-LED Lighting or too-white, too-bright Halogens, just click on this link and sit back a while, taking in the warm glow of the two INCANDESCENT globes…
http://www.lc-cls.com/SafetyFirst/Lighting/
The take action now to STOP THE BAN OF INCANDESCENTS as instructed above.
Talk to everyone, warning that they are taking away your safe, calm lighting!
Ban any store or venue that uses CFL / Fluorescent / white-LED or too-white too-bright lighting (including too powerful halogens).
DO. IT. NOW.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
What is Incandescence?
Incandescence is the light produced by a heated object. This light contains BILLIONS of frequences. It is the highest quality of light you can get.
How NOT to save energy:
– Using light source that cause a disturbing effect on people and environment around them. These sources are cold, aggressive, eerie forms of lighting. These include CFL, Fluorescent, and white-LED.
How TO save energy:
– Solar power
– Wind power
– Turn off electrical when not in use
– Use light dimmers (on INCANDESCENT lights)
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
How NOT to STOP THE BAN OF INCANDESCENTS
– Sit on your sorry ass crying
– Sign up for all petitions (just doesn’t go anywhere)
– Write to the government (usually just ends up in the waist bin)
HOW TO STOP THE BAN OF INCANDESCENTS
– Speak directly to everyone
– If a store so much as starts banning just one kind of light (they will start with 100W first), then immediately email and write to them:
“Since you have banned my choice of light bulbs, I will no longer purchase any items from your store. YOU ARE BANNED.
This ban will not be lifted until all 40W, 60W, 75W, 100W STANDARD INCANDESCENT clear and frosted BULBS/GLOBES are returned to the shelves. Have a good day.”
And then get 5 other friends who will each tell 5 other friends to do the same.
about an hour ago · Like (sorry guys, put this stuff in the wrong position)
CFL DANGERS
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Should you accidentally break you CFL (Compact Fluorescent Light),
Please follow these procedures:
Please read these now BEFORE disposing of or breaking a CFL.
Many people have NOT left the room first (you will breathe in mercury
vapor) or have used a vacuum cleaner (spreads mercury vapor).
Prevention
To prevent potential mercury exposure:
* Store and handle CFLs responsibly
* Following cleaning procedure when cleaning up broken CFLs
* Always recycling CFLs (never throw into normal garbage bins)
* Use other types of lighting such as Incandescent Lights in areas
where breakage is likely.
Cleaning Up Spills
What Never to Do After a Mercury Spills
* Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean up mercury. The vacuum will
put mercury into the air and increase exposure.
* Never use a broom to clean up mercury. It will break the mercury
into smaller droplets and spread them.
* Never pour mercury down a drain. It may lodge in the plumbing and
cause future problems during plumbing repairs. If discharged,
it can cause pollution of the septic tank or sewage treatment plant.
* Never wash clothing or other items that have come in direct
contact with mercury in a washing machine, because mercury may
contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage. Clothing that
has come into direct contact with mercury should be discarded.
By “direct contact,” we mean that mercury was (or has been)
spilled directly on the clothing, for example, if you break
a mercury thermometer and some of elemental mercury beads came
in contact with your clothing.
* Never walk around if your shoes might be contaminated with mercury.
Contaminated clothing can also spread mercury around.
CFL DANGERS
Cleaning Up a Broken CFL
Fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within
the glass tubing. When a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home,
some of this mercury is released as mercury vapor. The broken
bulb can continue to release mercury vapor until it is cleaned
up and removed from the residence. To minimize exposure to
mercury vapor, EPA recommends that residents follow the cleanup
and disposal steps described below.
This page presents only the most important steps to reduce exposure
to mercury vapor from a broken bulb.
1. Before cleanup
* Have people and pets leave the room.
* Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window
or door to the outdoor environment.
* Shut off the central forced air heating /
air-conditioning system, if you have one.
* Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb.
2. During cleanup
* Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder.
* Place cleanup materials in a sealable container.
3. After cleanup
* Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials outdoors
in a trash container or protected area until materials
can be disposed of properly. Avoid leaving any bulb
fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
* If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb
was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system
shut off for several hours.
CFL DANGERS
More details:
NOTE: these instructions also apply to spills from other sources, if the amount spilled
is less than or similar to the amount in a thermometer (see specific information about
how to clean up broken fluorescent bulbs)
* Have everyone else leave the area; don’t let anyone walk through the
mercury on their way out. Make sure all pets are removed from the area.
Open all windows and doors to the outside;
shut all doors to other parts of the house.
* DO NOT allow children to help you clean up the spill.
* Mercury can be cleaned up easily from the following surfaces: wood,
linoleum, tile and any similarly smooth surfaces.
* If a spill occurs on carpet, curtains, upholstery or other absorbent surfaces,
these contaminated items should be thrown away in accordance with
the disposal means outlined below. Only cut and remove the affected
portion of the contaminated carpet for disposal.
Items needed to clean up a small mercury spill
1. 4-5 ziplock-type bags
2. trash bags (2 to 6 mils thick)
3. rubber, nitrile or latex gloves
4. paper towels
5. cardboard or squeegee
6. eyedropper
7. duct tape, or shaving cream and small paint brush
8. flashlight
9. powdered sulfur (optional)
Cleanup Instructions
1. Put on rubber, nitrile or latex gloves.
2. If there are any broken pieces of glass or sharp objects,
pick them up with care. Place all broken objects on a paper towel.
Fold the paper towel and place in a zip lock bag. Secure the bag
and label it as directed by your local health or fire department.
3. Locate visible mercury beads. Use a squeegee or cardboard to gather
mercury beads. Use slow sweeping motions to keep mercury from
becoming uncontrollable. Take a flashlight, hold it at a low
angle close to the floor in a darkened room and look for
additional glistening beads of mercury that may be sticking
to the surface or in small cracked areas of the surface. Note:
Mercury can move surprising distances on hard-flat surfaces,
so be sure to inspect the entire room when “searching.”
4. Use the eyedropper to collect or draw up the mercury beads. Slowly
and carefully squeeze mercury onto a damp paper towel. Place the
paper towel in a zip lock bag and secure. Make sure to label the
bag as directed by your local health or fire department.
5. After you remove larger beads, put shaving cream on top of small
paint brush and gently “dot” the affected area to pick up smaller
hard-to-see beads. Alternatively, use duct tape to collect smaller
hard-to-see beads. Place the paint brush or duct tape in a zip lock
bag and secure. Make sure to label the bag as directed by your local
health or fire department.
CFL DANGERS
6. OPTIONAL STEP: It is OPTIONAL to use commercially available powdered
sulfur to absorb the beads that are too small to see. The sulfur does
two things: (1) it makes the mercury easier to see since there may be
a color change from yellow to brown and (2) it binds the mercury so
that it can be easily removed and suppresses the vapor of any missing
mercury. Where to get commercialized sulfur? It may be supplied as
mercury vapor absorbent in mercury spill kits, which can be purchased
from laboratory, chemical supply and hazardous materials response
supply manufacturers. Note: Powdered sulfur may stain fabrics a dark
color. When using powdered sulfur, do not breathe in the powder as
it can be moderately toxic. Additionally, users should read and
understand product information before use.
7. If you choose not to use this option, you may want to request the services
of a contractor who has monitoring equipment to screen for mercury vapors.
Consult your local environmental or health agency to inquire about
contractors in your area. Place all materials used with the cleanup,
including gloves, in a trash bag. Place all mercury beads and objects
into the trash bag. Secure trash bag and label it as directed by your
local health or fire department.
8. Contact your local health department, municipal waste authority or your
local fire department for proper disposal in accordance with local,
state and federal laws.
9. Remember to keep the area well ventilated to the outside (i.e., windows
open and fans in exterior windows running) for at least 24 hours after
your successful cleanup. Continue to keep pets and children out of
cleanup area. If sickness occurs, seek medical attention immediately.
View information on health effects related to exposures to vapors
from metallic mercury. For additional information on health effects,
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) provides
a Mercury Fact Sheet Exit EPA Disclaimer that also presents information
on health effects related to exposures to vapors from metallic mercury.
Type your comment here.CFL DANGERS
Recommendation: If there are young children or pregnant women in the house,
seek additional advice from your local or state health or
state environmental agency.
Many states and local agencies have developed collection/exchange programs
for mercury-containing devices. Some counties and cities also have household
hazardous waste collection programs. For information about these programs,
contact your local officials to find out when and where a collection will
be held in your area. Earth911 also provides information about local
collection programs. For information on recycling compact fluorescent
light bulbs (CFLs) and other mercury-containing bulbs,
see Recycling and Disposal After a CFL Burns Out.
Note that some states and local jurisdictions have elected to pass regulations
that are more stringent than the federal hazardous waste regulations.
Several states and municipalities do not recognize the exemption for
households; others regulate all fluorescent bulbs as hazardous,
regardless of their mercury content. For example, Vermont bans all
mercury-containing waste from landfills, including mercury-containing
waste generated by households. For more information specific to your state,
visit Earth911.com to contact your local waste collection
agency, which can tell you if such requirement exists in your state or locality.
At site cleanups of active facilities or abandoned hazardous waste sites, mercury
presents significant environmental challenges because it is difficult
to treat, exists in many different forms, is volatile, and can be difficult
to analyze. Some mercury contamination sites are also contaminated with oils,
radioactive materials and organic compounds that present technical challenges.
Cleaning up mercury contamination at active facilities or at abandoned hazardous
waste sites and preparing the land for redevelopment or redeployment happens
in a variety of EPA programs. EPA is improving the coordination, speed, and
effectiveness of cleanups at the nation’s contaminated sites through the
One Cleanup Program. This Program is EPA’s vision for how different
cleanup programs at all levels of government can work together to meet
that goal and ensure that resources, activities, and results are effectively
coordinated and communicated to the public. EPA accomplishes this work
in partnership with state, local and tribal governments and responsible
parties. View more information about the various cleanup programs managed by EPA:
Please note that the instructions apply to CFLs and Fluorescent tubes and
FS (Full Spectrum) lights (which are Fluorescents).
It also applies to other items containing mercury such as thermometers
and older style thermistor controllers. See links below for more details.
NOTE: These instructions DO NOT apply to Incandescent Lights. They do not contain
mercury. They are also easily recycled and do not pose a threat to the environment.
Note: Above is only a summary. To see full text, please refer to the references
listed below.
References from agencies:
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Mercury Releases and Spills
http://www.epa.gov/hg/spills/
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Cleaning Up a Broken CFL
http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup.html
CFL DANGERS
SIMILAR INSTRUCTIONS
From Canada.
Minimizing Your Risk
* Always handle CFLs carefully when installing and removing them.
* Check with your municipality to see if CFLs can be recycled in your area.
Recycling them means that the small amount of mercury they contain will
not end up in the environment.
* If you have skin sensitivities to UV, or have Lupus or another auto-immune disease
that makes you sensitive to UV, you can take these steps:
o Buy CFLs that are marked low UV.
o Buy CFLs that have a glass cover already added, which will help
further filter out UV radiation.
o Use additional glass, plastic or fabric materials in your lighting
fixtures to act as UV filters.
o Increase the distance you are from the CFL,
as this will reduce the level of UV exposure.
* If you break a CFL, follow these directions for clean-up:
o Leave the room
+ Remove people and pets from the room and keep them out of the room during
the clean-up process.
+ Avoid stepping on any broken glass.
o Ventilation
+ Ventilate the room for at least 15 minutes prior to starting clean-up by
opening windows and doors to the outdoors. This will ensure that
mercury vapour levels are reduced before you start cleaning.
o Clean-up Directions for Hard and Carpeted Surfaces
+ Do not use a vacuum to clean up the initial breakage, as it will
spread the mercury vapour and dust throughout the area and may
contaminate the vacuum.
+ Wear disposable gloves, if available, to avoid direct contact with
mercury and to prevent cuts.
+ Scoop or sweep up the broken pieces and debris with two pieces of stiff
paper or cardboard. Do not use a broom.
+ Use sticky tape, such as duct tape or masking tape, to pick up any
remaining fine glass or powder.
+ Wipe the area with a damp paper towel, cloth or disposable wet wipe
to remove any residual particles.
+ Place the broken glass and clean-up materials in a glass container
with a tight fitting lid to further minimize the release of mercury vapour.
o Carpeting – Steps to Take After the Initial Clean-up
+ If the rug is removable, take it outside, shake and air it out for as
long as is practical.
# The first time you vacuum on installed carpet after the clean-up,
shut the door to the room or close off the area as much as possible
and ventilate the room in which the lamp was broken by opening the
windows and doors to the outside. When the vacuuming is done,
remove the bag, wipe the vacuum with a damp paper towel, cloth
or disposable wet wipe, and then place the vacuum bag and paper
towel in a sealed plastic bag outside. In the case of a canister
vacuum, wipe the canister out with a wet paper towel and dispose
of the towel as outlined above. Continue to ventilate the room for
15 minutes once the vacuuming is completed.
o Disposal
+ Immediately place waste material outside of the building in a
protected area away from children.
+ Room with a open doorDispose of the waste at a household hazardous waste
location as soon as possible. Check with local, provincial,
or territorial authorities about the requirements for recycling
and for the location of household hazardous waste depots or pick-up.
+ Do not dispose of the waste in your household trash.
+ For further information on disposal, please contact Environment Canada.
o Washing
+ Wash your hands after storing and disposing of waste.
* Additional Information
o Remove and install the CFL by handling only the base of the lamp to prevent
any unnecessary pressure on the glass that may cause it to break.
o Consider using a drop cloth when replacing a CFL to minimize the chance of
breakage should the lamp fall or to protect the flooring and assist
in clean-up should the bulb drop and break.
o Store fluorescent lamps in containers that prevent them from breaking,
such as in their original packaging.
o Consider avoiding the use of CFLs in areas where the lamps may be easily broken.
Those who have Lupus or another auto-immune disease and certain skin conditions
can be sensitive to the UV from CFLs, in the same way they would be sensitive
to sunlight and other light bulbs that emit UV. If you believe you are suffering
from symptoms related to UV, you should consult your health care provider.
Note: The limits of exposure for Canada are: no closer than 30cm for 3hr or 1hr depending on CFL light.
The Standard Incandescent Light Bulb
How NOT to STOP THE BAN OF INCANDESCENTS
– Sit on your sorry ass crying
– Sign up for all petitions (just doesn’t go anywhere)
– Write to the government (usually just ends up in the waist bin)
HOW TO STOP THE BAN OF INCANDESCENTS
– Speak directly to everyone
– If a store so much as starts banning just one kind of light (they will start with 100W first), then immediately email and write to them:
“Since you have banned my choice of light bulbs, I will no longer purchase any items from your store. YOU ARE BANNED.
This ban will not be lifted until all 40W, 60W, 75W, 100W STANDARD INCANDESCENT clear and frosted BULBS/GLOBES are returned to the shelves. Have a good day.”
And then get 5 other friends who will each tell 5 other friends to do the same.
about an hour ago · Like (sorry guys, put this stuff in the wrong position)
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