Based on the ticket sales to date and the cross-talk generated by Al Gore’s “Inconvenient Truth” a lot of us went out and purchased piles of energy efficient bulbs in an effort to thwart our own seemingly massive carbon footprint, right? Swapping one regular light bulb for a Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFB) will save about 260 pounds of carbon dioxide each year and save $25 to $45 in energy bills over the life of the bulb according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

We left the store all smug, thinking, “hey look at me, I’m making a difference, I’m saving the planet.” Eventually, those little gems are going to burn out and a lot of us are unknowingly going to toss them into the trash and away they will go to some mythical landfill. Little do we know, but those bulbs installed a short while ago are just future toxic waste.

That’s right, the fine print on those products are growing to the size of bold headlines because those CFB’s have trace amounts of mercury in them (5 mg. per bulb - to be exact). Remember, mercury is a dangerous nuerotoxin. These mercury laden bulbs end up in landfills, the mercury will inevitably end up in the soil and potentially the water system. Also, if these bulbs shatter in your home you need to take definite precautions when cleaning the area. There is a vast spectrum of stories and advice when it come to cleaning up these shattered bulbs - everything from guys in hazmat suits coming to your house to opening the windows of the house for a few minutes and picking up the shards with tape. The bottom line is they need special treatment.

Sited Links:
Washington Post | Disposing of Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
Business and Media | The Dangers of those Energy-Saving Bulbs

Related Links:
EnergyStar.Gov | Fact Sheet Mercury
US EPA | Recycling Fluorescent Bulbs
Wikipedia | Mercury Poisoning