Stay bright: Recycle your CFL — and get one for free

The compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) has in many ways become an icon of green living: Lasting up to 10 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb, the corkscrew-shaped lights symbolize — and are — a simple way to cut electricity consumption. Enthusiastically endorsed by everyone from former Vice President Al Gore to Wal-Mart to Christian groups highlighting climate change as a moral issue (last winter, a program under the North Carolina Council of Churches encouraged congregation members to replace one light bulb with a CFL each time a new Advent candle was lit), the bulb is even personified in Progress Energy’s Save A Watt Guy, whose photo appears in energy-saving brochures enclosed with the utility bill.

Wanna give one a whirl? There’s a good chance to get one this weekend. Here’s the word from the Buncome County Web site: Ribbon Nutrition, Pink Penguin Press and Carbonfund.org are hosting a CFL exchange from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at Greenlife in Asheville. Guests can bring in an incandescent bulb and trade it in for a CFL during those ours.

There’s no doubt that a CFL can save loads of energy over the course of its lifetime. But for all the celebration surrounding the spiraled energy savers, the bulbs aren’t perfect: They contain mercury, a toxic substance that can devastate any environment where it accumulates. CFLs should be properly recycled to prevent mercury inside the bulb from leaking into ground water, according to a Buncombe County press release. A program launched July 1 by the county allows citizens to drop off their used or broken CFLs at local volunteer fire departments. For now, the following stations are accepting bulbs: Beaverdam, Black Mountain, Enka, Fairview, Reems Creek, Riceville, Skyland, Livingston Street in Asheville and Station 11 at Rocky Ridge Road near Biltmore Square Mall.

If a CFL breaks, the release warns, do not use a vacuum to clean it, as that can spread hazardous vapors. Sweep up the contents, and wipe the area with a wet paper towel or cloth. Both the broken fragments and the towel should be placed in a ziplock bag and brought to a fire station for disposal. And the room where the bulb was broken should be ventilated.

— Rebecca Bowe

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Stay bright: Recycle your CFL — and get one for free

  1. Dionysis

    Those involved in providing a safe mechanism for disposing of these bulbs are to be commended. I recently replaced all of my household light bulbs with these energy-saving bulbs, but was concerned about how to propertly dispose of them (in, hopefully, ten or so years). This service is welcome and appreciated.

Leave a Reply to Dionysis ×

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.