Regional News

Washington moving forward to create recycling program for mercury lights

By NCBI
Nov 27, 2012

The Washington Department of Ecology has adopted a rule necessary to carry out the state's Mercury-Containing Lights Product Stewardship Program. Under a law passed in 2010, consumers of mercury-containing lights such as fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent bulbs will be able to recycle them safely, conveniently, and at no cost.

The law creates a producer-financed product stewardship program to collect, transport and recycle residential lights, beginning Jan. 1, 2013.

As more people switch to energy-efficient lighting that contains mercury, disposal of these lights creates environmental problems. It's unsafe to discard burnt-out (spent) fluorescent lights in the trash. The law also makes this illegal beginning Jan. 1.

The rule guides and clarifies how the product stewardship program will be carried out. It covers:

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