Washington Creating Recycling Program For Mercury Lights

Olympia, WA - The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has adopted a rule necessary to carry out the state’s Mercury-Containing Lights Product Stewardship Program. Under a law passed in 2010, consumers of mercury-containing lights such as fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs will be able to recycle them safely, conveniently, and at no cost.

The law creates a producer-financed product stewardship program to collect, transport and recycle residential lights, beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

As more people switch to energy-efficient lighting that contains mercury, disposal of these lights creates environmental problems. It’s unsafe to discard burnt-out (spent) fluorescent lights in the trash. The law also makes this illegal beginning Jan. 1.

Proper recycling of spent lights reduces the release of mercury into the environment -- and allows the glass, metals and other components in these lights to be put to new uses.

This News is a service of:
       

The rule guides and clarifies how the product stewardship program will be carried out. It covers:

• · How producers will fully fund the program, including Ecology’s administration, enforcement, and oversight costs.

• · Program requirements, such as product stewardship plan, outreach and education efforts, and annual reporting requirements.

• · Requirements for collecting, transporting, processing and recycling of mercury-containing lights.

• · The department enforcement processes.

Broken fluorescent lights expose workers, residents and children to toxic mercury vapors. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Releasing it into the environment is a threat to public health.