garageismydoghouse
Member
Anyone have a suggestion on how to get rid of burned out 8 ft. florescent tubes?
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trashing florescent tubes
- Thread starter garageismydoghouse
- Start date
purplezr2
Well-known member
Drop it on the floor, than sweep it up and put it in the trash?
D45
Well-known member
Wow didn't know there were such struggles in life............smash it and trash it
Stuart in MN
Well-known member
Assuming from your signature you are in Wisconsin, start here: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/recycling/bulbs.html
As long as you do not get caught tossing them in the trash works, but is not legal so not recommended. Have various means here in CA to legally dispose of old lamps that for households is free or fairly cheap, a certain number free, after that amount has been reached, then a charge applies.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Drop it on the floor, than sweep it up and put it in the trash?
Wow didn't know there were such struggles in life............smash it and trash it
U do know theres mercury in fluorescent tubes right?
Jess
Well-known member
Around here, recycling is the way to deal with a lot of stuff. Our local hardware store takes the old ones when you buy replacements there. Compact fluorescents have mercury and shouldn't be trashed. I ended up replacing the few I did have with LEDs. For years, the tubes were put into the dumpster but as attitudes changed along with ECO fees added to stuff at purchase, recycling has become the norm for us.
nadogail
Well-known member
It depends on how many you have and who you are.
If I am correct, and surely if not somebody will let me know, it you are an individual home owner you may dispose small quantities of them in your trash.
If you are Industrial or Commercial different rules apply, check with your local authority having jurisdiction.
If I am correct, and surely if not somebody will let me know, it you are an individual home owner you may dispose small quantities of them in your trash.
If you are Industrial or Commercial different rules apply, check with your local authority having jurisdiction.
Wow didn't know there were such struggles in life............smash it and trash it
Why trash a guy just that is concerned about properly disposing of trash? Just because it's not on your radar to be responsible about your waste items does not mean it's not on others.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
U do know theres mercury in fluorescent tubes right?
There is so little mercury in those it is barely worth mentioning !
8' bulbs are used in commercial applications. Professionals usually change them and they have the boxes and padding from the new one to transport the old ones to a proper recycling center.
1 guy, 1 bulb. he is likely to break it while transporting it and make a bigger mess. Lay it on a heavy tarp (one without holes), break it, pout the contents into a sealable container then take it to the recycling center.
metaldad
Well-known member
break it, sweep it up and throw it in the trash.
took more time to read the above replies than it would to toss it.
took more time to read the above replies than it would to toss it.
Richard Cranium
Well-known member
Our land fill will take them and dispose of them properly. I took a bunch of 4 foot one's out and they didn't even charge to take them. They put them into steal barrels to be shipped away.
rattlesnake436
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2015
- Messages
- 78
I just throw mine into the recycling bin
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Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T217A using Tapatalk
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Amazing how so many dont give a **** about trashing the environment. I guess u dont care about polluting peoples domestic wells/water supplies.
smalltown
Well-known member
Wow I am surprised at how many suggest throwing them in the trash. I live in a small town, and even we hand over the florescent tubes, and cfl lighting at the local dump for proper recycling. Surely larger towns must have a place to do the same.
That is one one the reasons I wanted to go LED lighting to get away fro the mercury in both bulbs.
That is one one the reasons I wanted to go LED lighting to get away fro the mercury in both bulbs.
four.cycle
Well-known member
most major municipalities have a program for consumers to dispose of old fluorescent and CFL bulbs.
or check with your local big hardware store.
(of course, they'll tell you if you break it, just toss it into the trash. go figure.)
bad juju putting that mercury into the landfills, guys.
or check with your local big hardware store.
(of course, they'll tell you if you break it, just toss it into the trash. go figure.)
bad juju putting that mercury into the landfills, guys.
2Big2Ride
Well-known member
I recently noticed a box just inside the building near the returns counter at our local HD store for florescent bulb recycling. Have to admit, it was much easier to recycle almost everything living on the left coast than the DFW area.
ratdoggy
Well-known member
I just throw mine into the recycling bin
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That's a reason we stopped taking glass from customers to recycle..
They have mercury in them
A local dept store got caught trashing T8s into a dumpster. DEP got involved, Clean Harbors had to come clean the dumpster, cost was over 25,000 bucks. Maine has a few folks in the DEP chasing bulbs. Its illegal to dump them in trash
cajunfirehawk
Well-known member
Wont home depot take them? they do at my location...
Slowgsr
Well-known member
I charge customers 0.57/ft for disposal when I do relamping. Adds up when I do 800 4' lamps at a time in some situations
OP
garageismydoghouse
Member
I wish to thank you for your solid counsel. I will look into recycling them somewhere. The "smash and sweep" method of discarding toxic tubes seems a bit irresponsible. Long story short I salvaged a bunch 8 ft tubes and fixtures from a building demo and now I'm stuck with about 25 burnt tubes.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
I charge customers 0.57/ft for disposal when I do relamping. Adds up when I do 800 4' lamps at a time in some situations
Geez
How much does it cost u to dispose of them?
Surely not $1800!!
I charge customers 0.57/ft for disposal when I do relamping. Adds up when I do 800 4' lamps at a time in some situations
I charge for recycling also, its a pain in the *** to store the bulbs and then take them in. Costs me 12cents/ft, I charge 20 cents. I mostly recycle metal halide though, costs 1.50 a bulb, I charge 3 bucks
They probably all end up in the landfill anyway. Just like the asbestos scam.
At my first job 20 years ago as a laborer we used to clean bulbs for recycle. I can't count how many we broke by smacking each other with them. Made the best of a crappy job. According to the greenies we probably still glow under a black light.
At my first job 20 years ago as a laborer we used to clean bulbs for recycle. I can't count how many we broke by smacking each other with them. Made the best of a crappy job. According to the greenies we probably still glow under a black light.
atthebeach
Well-known member
I buy a box of 10 lights at a time for my shop. As the new ones get installed, I label and put the dead ones back in the box. The box is stored up in the rafters out of the way. When I'm out of new lights, I take the box of dead lights back to HD and buy a new box. Haven't had any breakage in transit. This doesn't help the OP, but my fellow lurkers may be interested.
rjkobbeman
Active member
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2015
- Messages
- 25
I charge customers 0.57/ft for disposal when I do relamping. Adds up when I do 800 4' lamps at a time in some situations
And that is the #1 reason smash-and-trash is used so much.
Stop ripping folks off to recycle, and folks will start recycling.
The recycling industry is in it for the money, not for the environment.
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Rewind97
Well-known member
I charge customers 0.57/ft for disposal when I do relamping. Adds up when I do 800 4' lamps at a time in some situations
That right there is enough to make folks smash and trash. A new 4' T8 is around $3 and you want $2.28 to recycle it.
wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
And that is the #1 reason smash-and-trash is used so much.
Stop ripping folks off to recycle, and folks will start recycling.
The recycling industry is in it for the money, not for the environment.
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U do realize its not free for him to recycle his customers bulbs? Not only that but his time as well.
How much is your time worth?
BillK
Well-known member
break it, sweep it up and throw it in the trash.
.
Illegal here and most other places in the USA
Two Door
Well-known member
They probably all end up in the landfill anyway. Just like the asbestos scam.
At my first job 20 years ago as a laborer we used to clean bulbs for recycle. I can't count how many we broke by smacking each other with them. Made the best of a crappy job. According to the greenies we probably still glow under a black light.
Keep that in mind in case down the road you start developing health problems that no one can solve. Some people go for years trying to figure out why they are so sick before eventually tracing it to mercury (and/or other heavy metal) exposure.
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Dagny
Well-known member
rock pile
According to the greenies we probably still glow under a black light.
Really some "greenies" told you that?
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
It depends on how many you have and who you are.
If I am correct, and surely if not somebody will let me know, it you are an individual home owner you may dispose small quantities of them in your trash.
If you are Industrial or Commercial different rules apply, check with your local authority having jurisdiction.
ALL fluorescent lights EXCEPT those that have green end caps indicating they are "low mercury" lamps that pass Federal TCLP tests must be recycled, regardless of who the end user is. Some states and localities require ALL fluorescent lamps be recycled. Best to check with your AHJ...
Tommy
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Two Door
Well-known member
In case someone is tempted to post something about this all being made up nonsense by (insert your favorite bogeyman here) I'll preempt that with an overview. It is more than most people will want to read, but just skimming it should convince you that this is no laughing matter. And even at that, it is only the tip of the iceberg.
http://howirecovered.com/mechanisms-by-which-mercury-causes-over-30-chronic-health-conditions/
http://howirecovered.com/mechanisms-by-which-mercury-causes-over-30-chronic-health-conditions/
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wyliesdiesels
Well-known member
Mercury poisoning is no joke. Same with other types of hazardous chemical poisonings.
I use to work for a well and pump company and we would have customers with contaminated wells that could no longer be used.
Its because of people with attitudes like the "break it and trash it" crowd that we have contaminated water supplies.
Do the proper thing and dispose of it properly!
I use to work for a well and pump company and we would have customers with contaminated wells that could no longer be used.
Its because of people with attitudes like the "break it and trash it" crowd that we have contaminated water supplies.
Do the proper thing and dispose of it properly!
Atthebeach's approach seems reasonable. Never really goes out of his way to do it other than storage.
DekeT, I believe it was Grand PooBah Gore that told me this while he was either firing up his coal fired car or climbing into his private jet. Your hard pressed to find people more hyocritical than "greenies".
DekeT, I believe it was Grand PooBah Gore that told me this while he was either firing up his coal fired car or climbing into his private jet. Your hard pressed to find people more hyocritical than "greenies".
Atthebeach's approach seems reasonable. Never really goes out of his way to do it other than storage.
DekeT, I believe it was Grand PooBah Gore that told me this while he was either firing up his coal fired car or climbing into his private jet. Your hard pressed to find people more hyocritical than "greenies".
Nothing like hypebole to replace a thought process. I really don't care if you have mercury for breakfast. Just spare the rest of us by being a more responsible citizen with your trash.
Dick in Wisconsin
Well-known member
Assuming from your signature you are in Wisconsin, start here: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/recycling/bulbs.html
From the link above:
WASTE LAMPS GENERATED AT HOME
Household generated waste lamps disposed with regular trash are exempt from Wisconsin hazardous waste regulations. Residents are still encouraged to recycle their waste lamps. Residents can learn which types of lamps are accepted in their area by contacting local solid waste management or recycling departments.
I reached out to our township about recycling fluorescent tubes. We had a huge recycling building and they took everything ... or so I thought. The town sent me to a business about eight miles away that was open only from 8am to 4pm, M-F. Very inconvenient for me at the time. I was disappointed in the township not taking them. They were ultimately disposed of in full compliance with Wisconsin DNR regulations.
Dave in Mass
Well-known member
I buy a box of 10 lights at a time for my shop. As the new ones get installed, I label and put the dead ones back in the box. The box is stored up in the rafters out of the way. When I'm out of new lights, I take the box of dead lights back to HD and buy a new box. Haven't had any breakage in transit. This doesn't help the OP, but my fellow lurkers may be interested.
This is what I do as well. I have two different size bulbs in my garage (total of 5 4' lights with two bulbs each) and so far after a couple of years both boxes still have more working than non-working bulbs in them. Unfinished garage so the boxes fit nicely between the wall studs behind my desk.