Fluorescent Bulb Recycling and Mercury

Recycling is an important part of any R. Baker & Son demolition, dismantlement, decommissioning, or plant relocation project.  Among the materials that can be recycled are metal, concrete, brick, cardboard, mineral fiber panel, plastic, clean wood, glass, gypsum wallboard, carpet and insulation.  Waste that that may contain hazardous materials cannot be directly recycled and require proper handling and disposal.  Fluorescent bulbs are often carefully packaged and sent to a recycler during demolition projects, but what happens to them once they reach the recycling facility is a mystery to most people.

A fluorescent bulb can contain anywhere from 5 to 50 mg of mercury, which is highly toxic to the nervous system and kidneys.  Each year, an estimated 600 million bulbs go unrecycled and are instead sent to landfills or incinerators, resulting in the release of 30,000 pounds of mercury vapor into the environment. The EPA strongly recommends recycling spent bulbs, and many states have banned them from solid waste landfills. 

Upon arrival at a recycling plant, workers remove fluorescent bulbs from their packaging and feed them into specialized recycling equipment.  The machinery is fully-automated and -contained to prevent the release of hazardous mercury into the air. Mercury-containing phosphor power is separated from glass and metal by-products and collected into containers.  The contaminated powder is then retorted to extract and isolate the mercury.  In the end, all of the remaining materials – glass, metal end caps, powder, and mercury – can be recycled. 

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in nearly a dozen projects achieving OSHA VPP Star status).

R. Baker & Son
1 Globe Court
Redbank, NJ 07701
732-222-3553
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