CFLs, e-waste and mercury! oh my!
July 9th, 2009 by Elizabeth UlionCompact fluorescent lightbulbs save energy and are cool looking. They are 75 percent more efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs. The swirly tubes can be found in homes, offices, restaurants and stores across the world. CFLs offer an easy, cost effective way to cut down on energy use.
Parts of a CFL by EnergyStar
But! Did you know CFLs also produce an unexpected source of electronic waste? The ballast, the plastic part on the bottom of each bulb, holds “a collection of electronic parts that regulates the electric current through a fluorescent lamp,” according to EnergyStar. On most CFLs sold today the ballast is attached to the bulb and gets disposed along with it. There’s another way! A two piece compact fluorescent with a reusable ballast and a replaceable in bulb.
In theory consumers would buy a ballast for each light fixture in the house and then just purchase new tubes whenever necessary. Unfortunately, this set up is not readily available. Philips has some on the market but they are for specific light fixtures and do not come in the twisty fashion that fits in every lamp.
What ever kind of CFL you buy it’s important to recycle them appropriately because of the mercury content in the tubes. While the mercury is a key to the process of creating light it is also a dangerous neurotoxin that can leak out of landfills contaminating the ground and water in disposal areas. Fear not! On this awesome site, Earth911.com, you can find the closest recycling center for what ever you’re trying to recycle. There’s even an iPhone app! Seriously check this site out, it made me happy for a whole afternoon.
Elizabeth Ulion is a graduate student at Northwestern University. She guilted her roommate into buying all CFL lightbulbs with just a slightly judgmental glance. That’s skills.
Images courtesy of Paul Keller/Flickr and EnergyStar.
Awsome blog highlighting the pros of using CFLS such as cutting down on energy use. I did not know that there were electronics in the bottom of them and can't wait for the new version you spoke of to come out! Also it is highly important as you said to dispose of these lights properly so nothing bad happens! Kudos!
The electronic components were news to me, too! Hopefully some brilliant company picks up on the marketing opportunity an even greener CFL would create.
Overall, LED bulbs seem to be more efficient and a wiser investment than CFLs. This article reinforces that notion. Many CFL users are too lazy and/or careless to properly dispose of their bulbs, allowing e-waste and mercury leakage. While no type is perfect, LED bulbs do not seem to exhibit the harmful side effects of CFLs. The most common argument against LED bulbs is price. Shoppers often do not realize that LEDs incur lower usage, maintenance, and replacement costs CFLs. With moderate usage, LED users recover the price differential.
I don't know much about LED lights– how long do they last? I know some CFLs can last up to about 10 years and thus that cuts down costs by a large amount