In Canada, about 90% of compact fluorescent light bulbs are being thrown away in normal household waste which can potentially leak mercury causing harm to the environment according to CTV Toronto.
According to the Recycling Council of Ontario most consumers are not safely disposing of the CFL’s that contain around 5mg of mercury each, Around 7 million curly light bulbs and approximately 9 million fluorescent tubes end up in landfills. According to the Recycling Council, the mercury inside the lights will eventually be released into the environment.
Executive Director of the Recycling Council, Jo-anne St. Godard, said:
“I don’t think most consumers know that there’s potentially hazardous material inside a light bulb. The release might be instant if it’s in the form of vapour. It could be released over time if it goes into a hazardous landfill and takes some time for the light bulb to break down.”
Research has shown that mercury can cause brain damage in ingested or inhaled. The Recycling Council are trying to get Ontario Council to ban it from landfills.
For information on what to do if you break a CFL read our help article.
If you need help in disposing or recycling of your CFL light bulb, Lightbulbs Direct offer a WEEE recycling scheme – Simply return your old item to us and we will then dispose of your old item in accordance with the Waste Electrical or Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations.
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It is very important to throw our waste in the proper containers. It is not so hard to follow so simple rules about the garbage. I can’t believe that there are still people who throw all of their waste in one single trash. Hope that more people will read this article!