Eco-Friendly Ways to Safely Recycle Or Dispose Fluorescent Tubes

Although they have become old-fashioned since the introduction of LED light bulbs, fluorescent lamps were once a popular, cost-efficient option for quality lighting, but their tubes contain hazardous mercury, which poses certain environmental concerns.¹

An invention of Edmund Germer in the 1920s, these lamps were of superior quality and guaranteed long-term use compared to incandescent bulbs. However, they contain mercury, which means they should be handled and disposed of with care.

Improper disposal or broken tubes expose the environment to mercury vapour. Because fluorescent tubes are fragile, it’s environmentally crucial that they are properly disposed of.

Recycling is a sustainable option for getting rid of old lamps including fluorescent bulbs as it prevents the release of mercury into the environment. They shouldn’t be thrown into regular waste bins. Instead, you should take them to designated waste collection points and handle them carefully to avoid breaking them.²

What Are Fluorescent Tubes?

The fluorescent tube, sometimes referred to as fluorescent tube light or strip is a glass tube filled with mercury vapour and coated on the inside with phosphors. This is a low-pressure mercury vapour gas discharge tube that converts fluorescence into visible light.

These tubes should are not regular household waste that you can toss into your waste bin. They contain hazardous contaminants and hence should be carefully disposed of.

If you have old fluorescent that you intend to get rid of, look for certified recycling facilities or hazardous waste collection centres.

Are Fluorescent Tubes Harmful to the Environment?

Tubes containing mercury vapour are harmful to the environment when they are broken. They contain mercury, a heavy, slivery d-block element, and the only metallic element known to be liquid at standard pressure and temperature.³

Exposure to mercury vapour from broken tubes can be quite harmful to the environment. According to a study on recycling and disposal of waste fluorescent lamps, each lamp contains more than 3mg of mercury. Even this little amount of this element can contaminate an estimated 1000 tons of water and 300m³ air when broken.⁴

The toxicity level of mercury is high and there are some concerns that it may cause serious damage to human health. This is why these mercury-vapour-containing tubes should be carefully disposed of. They don’t belong in regular household waste bins.

The best recommendation to dispose of lighting tubes like this is to search for hazardous collection waste centres or recycling facilities.

Learn more: How to Properly Dispose Paint Thinner

How to Dispose of a Fluorescent Tube Properly

How to Remove Fluorescent Tubes

Before you remove old tubes, ensure to follow electrical safety measures to avoid getting electrocuted. Also, make sure you have contacted the nearest hazardous waste collection centre to help you dispose of these tubes.

Start by simply turning off the power to the light to enable you to safely remove the tube. Carefully rotate the light bulb clockwise before you pull one end away from the fixture.

After that, pull the other end out gently to avoid breaking the tube. Remember the goal here is not to break any tube. If the lamp(s) are fixed at a height that is impossible to reach when you are standing, use a durable ladder to aid you in removing the bulb.

By doing this, you minimize the chances of breaking these fragile and mercury-vapour-containing tubes.

Store Fluorescent Tubes in Safe Boxes

If you have not found a recycling facility to help you properly dispose of old tubes or you just recently bought a lamp you don’t need, have them shipped back in the box it came in.

It’s best recommended to return a newly purchased fluorescent light bulb you don’t need rather than have it stored in your basement or garage. If you have discarded the original box, kindly find a safe box or container to place the light bulbs in for shipping.

Use a bubble wrap or newspaper to safely wrap the fragile item to prevent it from breaking. This also helps to protect stored tubes that cannot be shipped back right away.

Don’t Break the Fluorescent Tubes or Throw Them Away

Household hazardous waste should not be thrown into a waste bin; rather, it should be properly disposed of. Fluorescent tube lights are one example of household hazardous waste. The mercury inside these fragile tube lights is hazardous, and they must be disposed of carefully to avoid any environmental contamination.

To avoid environmental contamination, some areas have made it illegal to dispose of these fragile tubes in regular trash cans. A more sustainable approach to dispose of these light tubes is through recycling or appropriate disposal at hazard collection waste centres.

Learn more: How to Recycle Used Paint Thinner

What to Do When You Break a Fluorescent Tube?

Breaking fluorescent tubes has its environmental consequences and avoiding this occurrence should be prioritized. But if a tube breaks, what is the next step to take?

If you mistakenly break a fluorescent tube here is what you have to do:

• First, you need to leave the room or the area and make sure that no one walks through the breakage.
• Next, open every window in the room for at least 15 minutes. Turn off any central heating system or air conditioning in the room.
• Use a stiff piece of cardboard to clean large pieces of broken tubes scattered on the floor. While cleaning up shards of fluorescent tubes, wear a mask and use gloves to clean and gather all broken pieces into the piece of cardboard.
• Place the broken tubes in an airtight container. Remove any remaining shards of glass or dust using a vacuum cleaner. You can also use a piece of duct tape to remove tiny pieces of glass.
• After you have gathered all broken glass and dust, contact the nearest HHW facility for approval to bring the hazardous materials to their centre.

Please note: Avoid using a broom or regular household cleaning supplies you will be using for other cleaning supposes. Using regular household cleaning supplies to clean broken glass and dust will contaminate these supplies with mercury. Only use them for such cleaning if they will be discarded after use.

Recycling Fluorescent Tubes

Improper disposal of these fragile lamps exposes the environment to harmful elements contained in a fluorescent lamp such as mercury, lead, and arsenic. Other elements in the lamp holder such as copper, aluminium, tin, and tungsten are rare elements that can also impact the environment.

Recycling a fluorescent tube is a sustainable way to properly dispose of them. Search for the nearest recycling facility to take old or broken tubes to. They ensure household hazardous waste is carefully disposed of without harming the environment.

We recommend using Earth 911 Recycling Search to find one today.

Conclusion

Fluorescent tubes are not regular waste to be tossed into a trash can. They contain hazardous contaminants and hence should be carefully disposed of.  Careful handling should be prioritized and if any is mistakenly broken, the appropriate cleaning steps should be followed.

Sources

1. Liu, B. (2022, March 7). The environmental and health risk of mercury. . .. #MakeMercuryHistory. Revolve LED. ↩︎
2. Recycling and Disposal of CFLs and Other Bulbs that Contain Mercury | US EPA. (2024, June 6). US EPA. ↩︎
3. Wikipedia contributors. (2024, July 7). Mercury (element). Wikipedia. ↩︎
4. Li TianHua & Xiang DeQing: “Study on Recycling and Disposal of Waste Fluorescent Lamps.” ↩︎