Green Update: How to Dispose of Broken CFL bulbs

Nationally, Green for All’s President Van Jones is before Congress today. Support his effort by signing this petition.

From Green Innkeeper Extraordinare Sheri Gibbs at White Pines Victorian Lodge in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin comes this reminder about CFL bulbs: “Curly green light bulbs contain a deadly mercury and have to be disposed of at a hazardous waste site whenever they burn out or break. We need to know how to handle a situation when one breaks because the mercury will come out, breaks into tiny pieces, and every piece has to be cleaned up and disposed of, because a tiny speck of it can kill a kid, a pet, or make a grown adult seriously sick. Also, it's not like a liquid that simply lands and can be wiped up; mercury can roll around and disappear in a corner, under a piece of furniture, or stick to a carpet or rug or your shoe, anything. Look for gray, silvery, round-edged dots or pools of it. This link from the Environmental Working Group has information about newer, safer bulbs, ones that contain the least amount of mercury, and about how to dispose of bulbs, what to do when one breaks...everything we need to know about using these bulbs. There are also websites you can use to find a hazardous waste disposal site in your area.” I checked the charts and discovered Wellfleet’s transfer station accepts these bulbs, which is a relief.

Locally, I received an email this morning from Clean Power Now president Barbara Hill, announcing victory for Cape Wind. "The Minerals Management Service issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Cape Wind Project." Hurray!

Finally, during the holiday, Mid-Cape Home Center went green, eliminating as much paper as possible.