If every home in America replaced just one incandescent light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, it would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 800,000 cars annually.

• Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use up to 75 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer

• Using CFLs reduces mercury contamination, the greatest public health risk

CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing – an average of 4 mg. By comparison, older thermometers contain about 500 mg of mercury – an amount equal to the mercury in 125 CFLs.

The mercury in CFLs can be recycled into new fluorescent light bulbs and other mercury-containing devices. Virtually all components of a CFL or other fluorescent light bulb can be recycled. The metal end caps, glass tubing, mercury and phosphor powder can all be separated and reused. Recyclers often sell the metallic portions as scrap metal. The recycled glass can be remanufactured into other glass products.

To produce the electricity to run an incandescent bulb, a power plant emits 10 mg of mercury compared to 2.4 mg of mercury or less to run a CFL for the same length of time.

Breaking florescent light bulbs releases a tiny amount of mercury into the air. Handle them carefully and take all fluorescent light bulbs to a recycler before they break. To reduce exposure to mercury vapor in case one breaks, follow these EPA guidelines:

Before Clean Up

1. Have people and pets leave the room.
2. Air out the room for 5-10 minutes by opening a window or door to the outdoor environment.
3. Shut off the central forced H&AC system, if you have one.
4. Collect materials needed to clean up broken bulb.

During Clean up

1. Be thorough in collecting broken glass and visible powder.
2. Place cleanup materials inside two sealed plastic bags.

 After Clean Up

1. Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area until materials can be disposed of properly. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors.
2. For several hours, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off.