Trash Disposal

WHY CAN’T I THROW MY LAMPS IN THE TRASH?

Lamps contain mercury and in most cases are considered hazardous. The EPA regulates the management of spent lamps. Most states do not allow hazardous lamps to be disposed in solid waste landfills.

WHY IS MERCURY A CONCERN?

Mercury is a metallic element that can accumulate in living tissue. In sufficient concentrations, mercury may cause adverse health effects. Sources of mercury in the environment from human activity include coal-burning power plants, batteries, and fluorescent and HID lamps. Small amounts of mercury are a necessary component in fluorescent and HID lamps, but when a lamp is broken, crushed or dispensed in a landfill or incinerator, mercury may be released to the air, surface water or groundwater. It is a good policy to keep the mercury out of the solid waste stream by recycling.

HOW DO LAMPS GET RECYCLED?

Whether through a bulk pick-up service, prepaid mail-in containers (UN certified for transit), or drums of crushed lamps using a lamp-crushing machine. The waste will arrive at a certified recycling facility where lamps are fed into a specialized machine for recycling lamps. The entire process is fully automatic and incorporated in a container, thereby preventing mercury from being released into the environment. The phosphor powder is separated in different steps from the glass and metal by-products. Clean glass and aluminum end-caps are separated and stored for reuse. The mercury bearing powder is collected in distiller barrels beneath the cyclone and the self-cleansing dust filters. The powder is then retorted to drive out the mercury. At the end of the process the glass, metal end-caps, powder and mercury can all be reused. Once the materials have been fully processed by the recycling facility, an official certificate of recycling will be produced for your record keeping.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Michael Tuymer is project manager for Air Cycle Corporation. He can be reached at [email protected] or 800/909-9709.

Featured

  • Springfield Breaks Ground on $53.7M Pipkin Middle School Rebuild

    Construction is underway on a new, state-of-the-art Pipkin Middle School in Springfield, Mo., a major step in Springfield Public Schools’ (SPS) long-term facility improvement plan, according to local news. The $53.7-million project officially broke ground in early June, following years of planning and community input aimed at modernizing aging infrastructure and addressing student capacity concerns.

  • ProTeam Launches GoFit 6 HEPA Backpack Vacuum

    Technology leader Emerson recently introduced the new ProTeam GoFit 6 HEPA backpack vacuum, according to a news release. The vacuum was designed to capture 99.97% of particulates down to 0.3 microns—including atmospheric hazards like lead dust, mold spores, and other particulates—through an advanced filtration system.

  • California High School Starts Construction on New CTE Building

    Analy High School, part of the West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) in Sebastopol, Calif., recently broke ground on a new Career Technical Education (CTE) Building, according to a news release. The 15,000-square-foot facility will offer specialized facilities for students in engineering, welding, culinary arts, agricultural sciences, and design thinking.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Introduces Claude for Education

    Anthropic has launched a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

Digital Edition