EVERETT — There are now 56 more places to drop off those energy-saving bulbs for recycling than there were last week.
Soon, there likely will be several more.
Bartell Drug announced Monday that it has begun accepting compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, for recycling free at all 56 of its stores in the Puget Sound area.
The Snohomish County PUD, which recently tallied the sale of its 3 millionth bulb through its $1 discount coupon program, is planning to open more locations, spokesman Neil Neroutsos said.
“We’re working on expanding the program by launching some additional sites,” he said.
Currently, Snohomish County accepts the bulbs for recycling at its household hazardous waste collection site at 3434 McDougall Ave. in Everett and other locations, as do Home Depot hardware stores.
The bulbs contain a small amount of mercury, which is released into the environment if the bulb is broken, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The mercury helps the bulb operate more efficiently, according to the agency. Each bulb contains an average of 4 milligrams of mercury, about enough to cover the tip of a ballpoint pen. While some manufacturers are releasing bulbs that contain less, bulbs should be handled and disposed of with caution, officials say. The EPA offers tips for safe cleanup if homeowners accidentally break a bulb.
A 75-watt incandescent light bulb left on for 12 hours a day costs about $26 per year in energy, according to the PUD. By comparison, a 20-watt compact fluorescent light provides the same amount of light for less than $7 per year. The bulbs also last seven to 10 times longer than incandescents, the PUD says.
Bartell has been selling the bulbs for several years and has been considering a recycling program, company officials said.
“We kind of thought it was a good thing to close the loop on the disposal,” said Barry Bartlett, a spokesman for Bartell.
Some recycling of the bulbs involves transporting them out of state, increasing polluting emissions, Bartlett said. To address that problem, Bartell recently found a Seattle company, EcoLights, to handle the recycling.
Bins were placed in each of the company’s stores last week, officials said. The company accepts all types of compact fluorescent bulbs except the older-style fluorescent tubes.
“It’s too early to tell the response,” Bartlett said. “We’ve certainly had inquiries about it over the years — it was something we wanted to do, it was just making it work logistically.”
“It’s something we’re really excited about,” he said.
Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com.
Where to recycle
For a list of Snohomish County Solid Waste facilities and drop boxes that accept compact fluorescent lights free for recycling, go to www.snopud.com and click on “energy resources” and “Proper CFL disposal.”
For locations of Bartell and Home Depot stores, which also recycle the bulbs, go to www.bartelldrugs.com or www.homedepot.com.
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