CUBFacts
The Facts on CFLs and Mercury
What are they?
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CFLs, or compact fluorescent light bulbs, are used just like ordinary incandescent light bulbs and can be screwed into regular light sockets. Don’t let the word “fluorescent” turn you off. CFLs can produce many different shades of light, including the soft white of incandescent bulbs. Look for CFLs labeled “warm white” or “soft white” for traditional home lighting.

What are the benefits of CFLs?
CFLs use 75 percent less energy than traditional light bulbs and can last up to 10 times as long. Lighting accounts for approximately 10 to 20 percent of your electric bill, so CFLs can result in big savings. Each bulb can cut your electric bill by up to $10 a year. CFLs also generate 75 percent less heat than incandescent bulbs, which really makes a difference in the summer. According to www.EnergyStar.gov, if every American home replaced just one incandescent bulb with a CFL, in one year enough energy would be saved to light more than 3 million homes and prevent the amount of pollution released by 800,000 cars.

Because CFLs use less energy than ordinary light bulbs, they reduce the amout of pollution created by coal-fired power plants. A 60-watt incandescent bulb causes more than three times the mercury emissions of a CFL—even if that CFL is mistakenly thrown in a landfill, according to EnergyStar.gov. If you do recycle your CFL and keep it out of a landfill, EnergyStar.gov says, it’s about five times better than an incandescent in terms of mercury emissions. So CUB urges everyone to recycle CFLs!
How do I dispose of a CFL?
Much like batteries, CFLs should not simply be tossed in the garbage, but should instead be recycled. Here is how to get rid of your CFL:
1) Unscrew the bulb by the base, not the glass.
2) Recycle it. Most Ace Hardware, Home Depot and IKEA stores have special containers to recycle CFLs. See:
3) If you can’t find recycling near you, seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it in the outside trash. Never put a CFL in an incinerator.


Here is a list of CFL recycling locations in Illinois.
How do I clean up a broken CFL?
CFLs only contain about five milligrams of mercury—what you could fit on the head of a ballpoint pen. That’s about 100 times less than old thermometers. CFLs do not emit any mercury unless they break, and a broken CFL can be cleaned up safely by taking simple precautions recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency:

1) Open a window and air out the room.
2) While wearing disposable gloves or using a damp paper towel, carefully scoop up the large pieces with a stiff piece of paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag.
3) Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe and place them in the bag also.
4) Sticky tape may be helpful when picking up smaller pieces and those lodged in carpeting.
5) Place all clean-up materials in a second sealed plastic bag and throw it in the outdoor trash.
6) Don’t use a vaccuum or broom on a hard surface. On carpet, if you vacuum remove the vacuum bag afterwards or empty and wipe the canister clean. Put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag.
7) Wash your hands when finished.

Is the government mandating CFLs?
CFLs are not be mandated. However, the Energy Independence and Security Act, signed by President Bush in 2007, requires all light bulbs to use 30 percent less energy than today’s incandescent bulbs by 2012 to 2014. By 2020, all bulbs must be 70 percent more efficient than they are now. Although the law does require bulbs to be more efficient, it is possible that incandescent bulbs or other emerging technologies such as LEDs could meet the new standards. Right now, CFLs effectively meet both the 2012 and 2020 standards.
What is CUB?
CUB is a nonprofit, statewide utility watchdog organization that was created by the Illinois Legislature. If you have a question or complaint about a utility, call CUB, at 1-800-669-5556.