So you think you're green because you're incorporating those energy-efficient bulbs into your home lighting lineup? Think again when those corkscrew-shaped compact fluorescent light bulbs finally burn out. Your commitment as a green consumer would be put to the test.

It's bad to toss them in the trash because the bulbs contain tiny bits of mercury that can be hazardous to our health and environment and can require special disposal.

But would you be willing to pay to recycle them?

The incandescent light bulbs, deemed too inefficient, will be phased off the U.S. market beginning in 2012 under the new energy law approved last year. All of a sudden, various businesses are now offering new programs to encourage people to be good citizens -- some for free and some for profits.

For example, waste disposal giant Waste Management Inc. last week launched a CFL recycling kit. For $14.95, a consumer gets a special safe recycling box that will hold 15 bulbs.

About one-third of that fee includes a prepaid shipping label to the company's recycling plant in Minnesota.

The site, thinkgreenfromhome.com, gives green consumers the option to buy the recycling kit. They can collect bulbs in the box, and when it's full, they can just stick it in the mail. The box goes to Waste Management's subsidiary LampTracker, which is based in Roseville, Minn.

The Houston-based company also offers battery recycling kits at its Web site.

Company officials say they expect consumers to like the convenience of recycling them from home.

"Waste Management is providing solutions to help Kings County residents responsibly handle their household universal waste," said Bob Henry, senior district manager at Waste Management's Kettleman Hills facility. "Communities across Kings County are becoming increasingly aware of the 2012 deadline for the use of CFLs and the need to properly dispose of CFLs, batteries and other electronic wastes."

Waste Management's move follows the recent consumer push by Home Depot, which began accepting bulbs at all of its stores for free. At each store, customers can simply bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs and give them to the store associate behind the return desk. The largest home improvement retailer also sells millions of CFLs each year.

A number of other retailers, such as Wal-Mart, also accept expended common use batteries and CFL bulbs for free.

For Kings County consumers, there's also another free CFL recycling option -- at least for now.

The Kings Waste & Recycling Authority, located on Hanford-Armona Road and Highway 43, also accepts CFLs for free during normal business hours.

"We take them as well at no charge. We do accept the CFLs as long as they are not broken," said Jeff Monaco, executive director of the public agency established by Hanford, Lemoore, Corcoran and Kings County.

But with Home Depot and other retailers offering a free recycling service now, the agency might start referring customers to these businesses, Monaco said.

"We wanted to step up to the plate when there was no option," Monaco said. "However, we have to pay quite a bit to eliminate them at a cost. So we may start directing people to Home Depot. I applaud them for accepting these bulbs."

CFL facts

Each CFL costs about $3, compared with 50 cents for a standard bulb. But a CFL uses about 75 percent less energy and lasts 10 times longer.

Save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime, which is about five years.

A household who invested $90 in changing 30 fixtures to CFLs would save $440 to $1,500 over the five-year life of the bulbs.

Source: www.energystar.gov; U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; U.S. Department of Energy.

FAQ: What to do when it's broken?

So you broke a CFL, and it's got mercury in it.

Even though the amount sealed in each bulb is small -- far less than what's contained in an old fashioned thermometer -- mercury is still toxic and must be handled with caution.

No need to freak out.

There are simple steps you can take in cleaning up a broken CFL, according to Kings County's environmental health experts.

But resist your first instinct. Do not use a vacuum.

According to Keith Winkler, Kings County's environmental health division director and the Energy Star Web site, here are the procedures to follow:

1. Before cleanup, ventilate the room (have people/pets leave the room; open a window for 15 minutes; shut off the air conditioning).

2. Wear latex gloves

3. Carefully scoop up glass fragments using paper and place them in a glass jar with a metal lid.

4. Use duct tape to pick up small fragments and powder.

5. Wipe the area with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and put them in the glass jar.

6. Wash your hands.

Another piece of key advice: If clothing or bedding materials come in direct contact with broken glass or mercury containing powder, they should be discarded. Do not wash them because mercury fragments may contaminate the washing machine and pollute sewage.

You can, however, wash clothing that has been exposed to the mercury vapor from a broken CFL.

Kings Waste & Recycling Authority Executive Director Jeff Monaco said it is recommended that consumers put broken CFLs and cleanup materials in a container and bring it to a household hazardous waste collection event at its material recovery facility.

KWRA holds such events at least once every quarter. Residents may call 583-8829 for further information.

The reporter can be reached at 583-2429.

(July 27, 2008)