Does Home Depot recycle fluorescent light bulbs?

Category: home and garden home appliances
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The biggest market for CFL recycling is retailers (like Home Depot and Lowe's), which accept them for free but only from consumers. Please don't try to recycle your fluorescent tubes through these retail collection bins, as the bulbs will likely break and contaminate the store.



Thereof, how do I dispose of 4 foot fluorescent bulbs?

How to Dispose of Four-Foot Fluorescent Lights

  1. Call your local sanitation department and ask about hazardous waste drop-off sites near you. Ask them about any fees that may apply.
  2. Ask your sanitation department about recycling centers near you that accept fluorescent light tubes.
  3. Place a broken fluorescent light tube in a resealable plastic bag.

Subsequently, question is, can you throw out fluorescent light bulbs? Managing and Recycling CFLs Luckily, under the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Universal Waste Rule, many mercury-containing light bulbs can be treated as non-hazardous waste, if properly recycled. The EPA-recommended method for the safe disposal of all types of fluorescent light bulbs is actually recycling.

Also to know, how do I dispose of fluorescent tubes?

How to Dispose of Fluorescent Tubes Safely

  1. Source.
  2. These tubes are considered universal waste and can be dropped off at a universal waste handler in large or small quantities.
  3. Head to your local Batteries Plus Bulbs store.
  4. You can also call 800-CLEAN-UP for help finding an appropriate disposal center near you.

How do you recycle light bulbs at Home Depot?

To dispose of your CFL bulbs properly, recycle them. Home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot usually accept CFL bulbs: Look for bins to deposit these bulbs at the front of the store.

35 Related Question Answers Found

Is it illegal to throw away fluorescent light bulbs?

Many businesses and homeowners aren't aware that it's illegal to throw fluorescent bulbs out with the trash. When broken, incinerated or buried in a landfill, fluorescent bulbs release mercury into the air, water and soil. Some stores take back fluorescent bulbs, but those programs are typically meant for individuals.

Does Home Depot take old fluorescent tubes?

All Home Depot stores have a CFL (compact fluorescent lighting) recycling center. All Home Depot stores have a CFL (compact fluorescent lighting) recycling center. This unfortunately isn't for tubes, but if you speak to your nearest store, you can contact a manager for seeing if the store can take them.

Does Ace Hardware recycle light bulbs?

Ace Hardware wants to help you Go Green. One thing we do is accept Compact Florescent Light bulbs for recycling. CFLs contain a small amount of Mercury so it is environmentally friendly to recycle. Bring your used CFLs to us today!

How do I install a fluorescent light bulb?

Lift the new fluorescent tube into place.
To install the new light, line its prongs up with the slots in either socket. Push the tube straight up into the sockets, and then rotate it 90 degrees until you feel it lock into place. You can give the lamp a gentle tug to ensure that it is firmly in place.

How do you dispose of fluorescent light bulbs at Home Depot?


The EPA recommends that you bring old CFLs to qualified recyclers, rather than disposing of them in trash cans or curbside recycling bins. You can bring old CFLs to The Home Depot for free recycling. Visit the Eco Options website to learn more. If you're concerned about the mercury content in CFLs, consider LED bulbs.

Can you throw away fluorescent bulbs with green ends?

EPA does not have a separate policy regarding the disposal or recycling of "green tip" lamps. Although these bulbs are not listed hazardous wastes, they are still hazardous waste if they exhibit a characteristic. The green tip fluorescent bulbs typically contain mercury in lower quantities than other fluorescent bulbs.

How do you dispose of energy saving light bulbs?

Safe light bulb disposal
  1. Standard light bulbs should be disposed of in normal household waste.
  2. Compact fluorescent lamps are energy saving light bulbs and do not belong in the rubbish bin.
  3. Halogen Light bulbs should be disposed of in normal household waste.

Does Walmart recycle CFL bulbs?

3. Recycling is Free. For instance, retailers such as Walmart offer recycling for unbroken light bulbs, and most fire departments offer free recycling for household hazardous waste. You can also find a list of your local recyclers using the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers locator map.

Can you throw away fluorescent tubes?

All Fluorescent Lamps and Tubes Should Be Recycled or Disposed as Hazardous Waste. All fluorescent lamps and tubes are considered hazardous waste in California when they are discarded because they contain mercury. Compact fluorescents, including low mercury lamps.

Does Walmart recycle fluorescent tubes?


The recycling events will offer consumers a free and convenient opportunity to drop-off and recycle their used compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and fluorescent tubes. Wal-Mart is committed to selling efficient and affordable CFLs, and is well on its way in a campaign to sell 100 million bulbs by 2008.

Does Lowes accept fluorescent tubes for recycling?

The biggest market for CFL recycling is retailers (like Home Depot and Lowe's), which accept them for free but only from consumers. CFLs are more widely purchased by consumers in these retail stores, whereas fluorescent tubes are more often used in offices.

Does Lowes take old fluorescent tubes?

Lowe's says that the recycling centers will offer a convenient and free way for customers to recycle rechargeable batteries, cell phones, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) and plastic shopping bags. With the purchase of a new appliance, Lowe's hauls away customers' old appliances at no charge.

Is breaking a fluorescent tube dangerous?

However, because fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, when a fluorescent bulb breaks, it should be handled as hazardous waste. Broken florescent bulbs can be a health hazard if not cleaned up properly.

How do I dispose of AA batteries?

As Duracell's website says: “Alkaline batteries can be safely disposed of with normal household waste.” Energizer confirms that regular batteries are fine to toss in the trash, but says rechargeable batteries should be recycled according to US federal guidelines.

What do you do with unused light bulbs?


If you have the old-style incandescent light bulbs that have died, they can be disposed of in the regular trash, although a good safety precaution is to wrap them in paper to protect others in your household and disposal workers.

Who recycles batteries for free?

Call2Recycle also offers a network of over 34,000 local recycling centers and drop-off locations for rechargeable batteries, including local municipalities and national retailers such as Best Buy, The Home Depot, Staples and Lowe's.

How do you dispose of curly light bulbs?

You can take your CFLs to an antifreeze, batteries, oil, paint (ABOP) facility or household hazardous waste event. They are also accepted at all Home Depot, IKEA and Lowe's stores in the U.S., as well as many regional chains. Find a drop-off location near you using our Recycling Locator.