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View Full Version : UK: Councils Say Energy-Saving Lights Are Too Dangerous - Toxic Mercury, Poisonous Vapours




FrankRep
03-06-2011, 05:27 PM
'We will not pick up toxic new bulbs': Councils say energy-saving lights are too dangerous for binmen (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1363448/We-pick-toxic-new-bulbs-Councils-say-energy-saving-lights-dangerous-binmen.html#ixzz1FreeShxG)


Daily Mail UK
6th March 2011



Councils across the UK are refusing to pick up low-energy lightbulbs from homes as they contain toxic mercury, which gives off poisonous vapours.

But confused consumers are putting the new bulbs – classified as hazardous waste – in their dustbins when they burn out, potentially putting the safety of thousands of binmen at risk.

Previously, the public disposed of traditional lightbulbs, used in Britain for 120 years, in a domestic bin.

However, they are being phased out under a European Union ruling and are being replaced with energy-saving bulbs, many of which contain mercury.


Flashback:


Contact Congress! -- Let's Bring Back the Incandescent Bulb
http://www.votervoice.net/core.aspx?APP=GAC&AID=972&IssueID=23696&SiteID=-1


http://thenewamerican.com/images/stories2011/11aFebruary/lightbulbs-t-ap.001.jpg



Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann, who introduced the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act (H.R.5616 (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-5616)) in 2008 to blunt the incandescent light bulb ban signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007.


Michele Bachmann Pushes Back Against Incandescent Light Bulb Ban (http://thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/6556-bachmann-pushes-back-against-incandescent-light-bulb-ban)


Raven Clabough | The New American (http://thenewamerican.com/)
03 March 2011


Related News:

2011 Republicans Seek Repeal of Incandescent Bulb Ban (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/6392-republicans-seek-repeal-of-incandescent-bulb-ban)

Senators Jim DeMint and Mike Enzi introduced legislation that would reverse the ban on incandescent light bulbs passed as part of the 2007 environmentalist, green energy push.

2010: The CFL Bulb Is Not Environmentally Friendly (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/3396-the-cfl-bulb-is-not-environmentally-friendly)

Though for millions of environmental activists the Compact Fluorescent Light bulb (CFL) has become a popular mascot rivaling the World Wildlife Fund's panda bear symbol, the bulb is anything but environmentally friendly. By William F. Jasper

2010: Death of the Incandescent Light Bulb (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/usnews/politics/4646-death-of-the-incandescent-light-bulb)

In response to the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, which bans the use of incandescent light bulbs by the year 2014, General Electric has shut down its last factory in the United States that makes the incandescent light bulb. by Raven Clabough

2010: UN & Big Business Call for Global Light Bulb Ban to Save Climate (http://www.thenewamerican.com/index.php/tech-mainmenu-30/environment/5356-un-a-big-business-call-for-global-light-bulb-ban-to-save-climate)

The United Nations and its corporate allies called for a global ban on incandescent light bulbs and kerosene lamps Wednesday at the COP16 global-warming summit in Cancun, claiming in a new study that “energy-efficient” lights would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. by Alex Newman

Zippyjuan
03-06-2011, 06:02 PM
Snopes on the question:
http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/cfl.asp

Claim: Energy-saving light bulbs (CFLs) release dangerous amounts of mercury when broken.



MIXTURE OF TRUE AND FALSE INFORMATION:

TRUE: CFLs contain mercury, a potentially dangerous substance.

TRUE: While mercury stays safely contained in intact CFLs, it escapes from broken CFLs into the immediate surroundings.

FALSE: The amount of mercury contained in one CFL bulb poses a grave danger to a home's inhabitants.

TRUE: The breakage of a CFL bulb needs to be handled with care and certain procedures should be followed in removing the broken bulb and its contents from a home.

FALSE: The mercury dispersed by one broken CFL bulb needs to be dealt with only by an environmental clean-up crew.


LEDs could be a possible replacement.

Anti Federalist
03-06-2011, 08:33 PM
LEDs could be a possible replacement.

Let the people decide what to replace bulbs with, if anything.

I have a mix in my home, incandescents, CFLs and LEDs on an as needed and applicable basis.

Government is banning the sale of incandescents and for the applications they are in, in my home, there are no suitable alternatives.

Danke
03-06-2011, 09:23 PM
http://www.energystar.gov/ia/products/lighting/cfls/downloads/CFL_Cleanup_and_Disposal.pdf

Cleanup and Disposal Guidelines
For Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)
June 2008
What precautions should I take when using CFLs in my home?
CFLs are made of glass and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the bulb from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the light bulb by its base (not the glass), and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket. If a CFL breaks in your home, follow the clean-up recommendations below. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly (see below).
What should I do with a CFL when it burns out?
EPA recommends that consumers take advantage of available local recycling options for compact fluorescent light bulbs. EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. Consumers can contact their local municipal solid waste agency directly, or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org to identify local recycling options.
If your state or local environmental regulatory agency permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it into the outside trash, or other protected outside location, for the next normal trash collection. Never send a fluorescent light bulb or any other mercury-containing product to an incinerator.
If your ENERGY STAR qualified CFL product burns out before it should, look at the CFL base to find the manufacturer’s name. Visit the manufacturer’s web site to find the customer service contact information to inquire about a refund or replacement. Manufacturers producing ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs are required to offer at least a two-year limited warranty (covering manufacturer defects) for CFLs used at home. In the future, save your receipts to document the date of purchase.
How should I clean up a broken fluorescent bulb?
Because CFLs contain a small amount of mercury, EPA recommends the following clean-up and disposal guidelines:
1. Before Clean-up: Air Out the Room

Have people and pets leave the room, and don't let anyone walk through the breakage area on their way out.

Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

Shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system, if you have one.
2. Clean-Up Steps for Hard Surfaces

Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass pieces and powder.

Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place towels in the glass jar or plastic bag.

Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.
3. Clean-up Steps for Carpeting or Rug:

Carefully pick up glass fragments and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag.

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and powder.

If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken.

Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
4. Clean-up Steps for Clothing, Bedding, etc.:

If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from inside the bulb that may stick to the fabric, the clothing or bedding should be thrown away. Do not wash such clothing or bedding because mercury fragments in the clothing may contaminate the machine and/or pollute sewage.

You can, however, wash clothing or other materials that have been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL, such as the clothing you are wearing when you cleaned up the broken CFL, as long as that clothing has not come into direct contact with the materials from the broken bulb.

If shoes come into direct contact with broken glass or mercury-containing powder from the bulb, wipe them off with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels or wipes in a glass jar or plastic bag for disposal.
5. Disposal of Clean-up Materials

Immediately place all clean-up materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area for the next normal trash pickup.

Wash your hands after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing clean-up materials.

Check with your local or state government about disposal requirements in your specific area. Some states do not allow such trash disposal. Instead, they require that broken and unbroken mercury-containing bulbs be taken to a local recycling center.
6. Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rug: Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

The next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window before vacuuming.

Keep the central heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window open for at least 15 minutes after vacuuming is completed.
For more information about compact fluorescent bulbs, visit http://www.energystar.gov/cfls
For more information about compact fluorescent bulbs and mercury, visit http://www.energystar.gov/mercury
EPA is continually reviewing its clean-up and disposal recommendations for CFLs to ensure that the Agency presents the most up-to-date information for consumers and businesses.

Similar recommendations from the EPA: http://www.epa.gov/cfl/cflcleanup-detailed.html