How Do You Dispose of Fluorescent Bulbs and CFLs?
Recycle them if you can. The EPA recommends using local options for recycling CFLs, fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs that contain mercury rather than disposing of them in regular household trash, and says recycling prevents the release of mercury, because the bulbs often break when thrown into a dumpster, trash can or compactor, or when they end up in a landfill or incinerator. On average, it says, a CFL contains about four milligrams of mercury sealed within the glass, compared with about 500 milligrams in older thermometers.
If one breaks, the EPA says to have people and pets leave the room, air it out for 5 to 10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoors, and shut off central forced air heating or air conditioning. It says not to vacuum unless broken glass remains after all other steps, because vacuuming could spread mercury-containing powder or vapor, and to scoop up fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard, pick up remaining small pieces with sticky tape such as duct tape, and place the tape in a glass jar or plastic bag.
The EPA says to promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area, and to check with your local government about disposal requirements, because some localities require fluorescent bulbs, broken or unbroken, to go to a local recycling center. Where there is no such requirement, it says the materials can go in household trash.
Sources checked September 15, 2026. Every point below links the page it came from.
The sources behind this answer
- Government sourceThe EPA recommends using local recycling options for CFLs, fluorescent bulbs and other bulbs that contain mercury, rather than disposing of them in regular household trash. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says recycling prevents the release of mercury, because fluorescent bulbs often break when thrown into a dumpster, trash can or compactor, or when they end up in a landfill or incinerator. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says CFLs contain on average about four milligrams of mercury sealed within the glass tubing, compared with about 500 milligrams in older thermometers. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceBefore cleaning up a broken CFL, the EPA says to have people and pets leave the room, air it out for 5 to 10 minutes, and shut off central forced air heating or air conditioning. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says not to vacuum a broken CFL unless glass remains after all other steps, and to collect fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and sticky tape, placed in a glass jar or plastic bag. US EPA ↗
- Government sourceThe EPA says to put broken bulb debris outdoors promptly and check local disposal rules, since some localities require fluorescent bulbs to go to a recycling center, and otherwise the materials can go in household trash. US EPA ↗
Sources checked September 15, 2026. A brand statement is the company’s own claim, which we report but have not verified. Our grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests.