Some big retailers are promoting compact fluorescent light bulbs as a way to save energy.   Home Depot
sold 75 million of these energy-efficient bulbs in 2007.     Wal-Mart has been promoting sale of CFL’s as
part of their efforts to “green” their business.   They have sold 193 million CFL’s since October 2006.

However, all fluorescent bulbs contain some mercury.  The amount in a CFL, no more than 3.5 mg.,
would be about the size of the ball in a ball-point pen.   A home thermostat has a thousand times that
amount.  Even so, used-up bulbs should not be thrown out in the trash.  They should be recycled.

 Recycling them is about to get easier.  Home Depot will take back old compact fluorescents in all 1,973
of its stores in the United States, creating the nation’s most widespread recycling program for the bulbs.

Ron Jarvis, Home Depot’s senior vice president for environmental innovation, explained in a press release
that the retailer is responding to customer demand.  Until now, consumers had to seek out local hazardous
waste programs or smaller retail chains willing to collect the bulbs for recycling, like Ikea and True Value.
Some consumers have waited for retailers like Wal-Mart to have a designated recycling day. Others bought
kits to mail the bulbs to a recycling facility. The Environmental Protection Agency has been looking into
putting bulb drop-off boxes at post offices.

But those plans are not final, and across most of the country, recycling the bulbs has been inconvenient
at best. Industry professionals estimate that the recycling rate is around 2 percent.

Home Depot’s program, which will accept any maker’s bulbs, will bring relatively convenient recycling
within reach of most households. Mr. Jarvis estimated that 75 percent of the nation’s homes are within
10 miles of a Home Depot.   

Lately, consumers have been getting the message — in stores, from the media and through awareness
campaigns — that compact fluorescents use up to 75 percent less energy, last longer and cost less over
time than incandescent bulbs.  The average household reduces its energy budget by $12 to $20 a month
using compact fluorescents. Additionally, better technology has made the bulbs’ harsh glow somewhat
warmer and softer, though many people still object to it.

Mercury is found in other common household items like electronics, appliances and pesticides. Its vapors
can harm people and pollute the environment, which is why recycling is encouraged. In Middlesex County, businesses must recycle fluorescent bulbs by law, and residents are urged to do so also.