For people looking to help out the environment, or for those who simply want to save money and energy, switching from traditional incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) has proved a popular choice. But CFLs don’t come without their own problems, with none bigger than the small amount of mercury in each bulb. In response, the Alliance to Save Energy has issued a report on how to best to manage CFLs.
Among its suggestions are several preventative measures to keep the bulb from breaking, including making sure the bulb has been given time to cool before handling and keeping the bulb out of “rowdy” spaces. The alliance also gives advice on what do if the bulb should break, such as getting all people and pets out of the room, opening the windows, and turning off the air conditioning to ensure the mercury will leave the room instead of circulating throughout the house. Also in the report: tips on where to find places that safely recycle CFLs, such as home improvement stores or community waste centers. To read the alliance’s full report, click here.
