Bottom Line: Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL's) need to be disposed of properly

Swapping incandescent lightbulbs for compact fluorescent lightbulbs is one of the easiest things you can do to help the environment. CFLs last about 10 times longer and quickly pay for themselves. If every household replaced one incandescent bulb with a CFL, we would prevent pollution equal to the removal of 800,000 cars from the road, according to the federal government.

Sounds good, but there's a big problem with CFLs: Getting rid of them.

Since February 2006, state law has prohibited disposing of them in your residential trash, and most cities require you to drop them off at a recycling center. When you consider that each gallon of gas you burn puts 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, it doesn't make sense to chauffeur lightbulbs to a recycling facility.

Recycling long fluorescent tubes is even harder. Recycling centers have different policies about how many they will accept. If you want to dispose of more than a few, you may have to make an appointment with your county's household hazardous waste collection center. One recycling expert told me I would need a commercial transportation permit to carry more than six long tubes in my car.

The state Department of Toxic Substances Control says there is no limit, as long as the tubes are eventually recycled. However, bulbs must be properly wrapped for transport, the department spokeswoman said, and if they break, you're responsible for cleaning them up. Cleanup of fluorescent lamps is no small feat; the Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines run close to 800 words and urge disposal of any materials that come in direct contact with the lamp contents, including rugs and fabrics.

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