Disposing of low energy lightbulbs.

MOCHA

A low energy bulb has finally expired after five and a half years of service. Rather than just putting it in the household rubbish is there anywhere that I can take it for disposal or recycling?

Lord_Gardener

Check out your local council recycling centre where they usually take fluorescent tubes - they are mini ones!

plumb1_2

Throw it in the bin, you will do more damage to the enviroment driving to the tip.

marksward

Don't IKEA still have the recycling boxes there for old energy saving bulbs, and save the fuel by buying the replacement there as well!

scheming_gypsy

it's a light bulb for chuffs sake. Stick it in the bin...
The amount of resources it'd use sticking it in the bin has been dwarfed by the amount of energy used turning the computer on, logging onto here and asking us what to do with a light bulb.

FilthyLuka

stick it in a box in the shed out of the way, then take it to a recycle point when you are taking stuff anyway - problem solved (unless you have to drive to a diy place and buy a shed first!):money:

Wig

It's not resources/energy that is the issue here, it is that they contain mercury and should be disposed of properly, it is illegal for a council to throw these into landfill but no-one seems to give a !!!!

24_hour_sparks

its called the WEE directive lol, waste electricial equipment regulations,

for example me being a registered electrician it cost me approx 60p for a flourescent tube 5ft type but costs nearlt £2 to dispose of the old one, hmm anouther cost passed striaght to the customer,

either throw it away in the bin like most people do ( I KNOW ITS WRONG) or take it to a specialised waste disposal transfer site where you will get laughed at, and it will cost you a minuium charge of £25 plus vat. imho.

yet more red tape me thinks.


thanks,
andy

MOCHA

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up dropping it so yes it's in the bin in several pieces!
I'm a convert to these bulbs which are now much more reasonably priced and smaller than the early ones.