The Mercury Problem
 Mercury is a bioaccumulative toxin probably best-known for its effects on the nervous system. Mercury can also damage the kidneys and liver and in sufficient quantities can cause death.
Mercury is also a necessary part of
fluorescent lamps, including compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs).
An estimated 150 million CFLs were sold in the United States in 2006, with Wal-Mart alone hoping to sell 100 million in 2007, and most of these lights are ending up in landfills.
Only two percent of CFLs are recycled in the U.S. Of the 98 percent of CFLs that are discarded, most get crushed en route to landfills and incinerators in packer trucks, releasing mercury vapors that are inhaled by trash collectors. Moreover, the mercury released from broken lights escapes into the air to settle out and be washed into our streams and rivers. The residue in landfills forms methyl mercury gas, which is especially toxic.
The Issue for Local Government
Global phenomenon: The movement to phase out energy-hogging incandescent lamps has swept the globe with amazing speed. In late 2006, Wal-Mart announced plans to sell 100 million CFLs in the U.S. in 2007— which by itself doubled the market. In January 2007, state legislators in California and New Jersey introduced bills to phase or ban incandescent lamps. Australia became the first country to ban incandescents in February 2007, followed by the European Union in March, and  Canada in April.
Local government response: Local governments enthusiastically support phasing out energy-wasting lights, but we do not want to see a new problem created in its place. Initial proposals to ban or phase out incandescents and replace them with more energy efficient lights such as CFLs ignored the mercury disposal problem or assumed that local government and taxpayers would be happy to clean up the mercury-containing products. Unfortunately, local governments have neither the capacity nor resources to manage this waste stream. Current recovery rates are two percent for CFLs in the U.S.(for all fluorescents, including commercial tubes, it is only 25 percent). Local governments are saying in essence that it's a great idea to switch to fluorescent lighting but we need producer responsibility for financing and managing hazardous lamp recycling to ensure mercury is properly captured. |
Buy Compact Fluorescent Lights and use them carefully.