Lowe’s says the recycling centers will offer a convenient and free way for customers to recycle rechargeable batteries, cell phones, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), and plastic bags. The products are sent to recycling facilities for processing.
Also, does Lowe’s accept fluorescent tubes for recycling?
The largest market for CFL recycling is retailers (such as Home Depot and Lowe’s), which accept them free of charge but only from consumers. CFLs are more widely purchased by consumers at these retailers, while fluorescent tubes are more often used in offices.
You may also ask, how do I dispose of 4-foot fluorescent bulbs? Place a broken fluorescent light tube in a resealable plastic bag. Place that bag inside another resealable plastic bag and dispose of the light tube in your household trash if the 4-foot-long tube won’t fit inside a resealable plastic bag, double bag it in plastic garbage bags and tie them securely.
Similarly, you may ask yourself, how do I dispose of fluorescent tubes?
How to Safely Dispose of Fluorescent Tubes
- At the source – wherever you bought the bulbs may have a recycling program
- Universal Waste Handlers – These tubes are considered universal waste and can be disposed of in a universal waste handler in large or small quantities
- At your local Batteries Plus store – they take many different forms of lightbulbs including fluorescent tubes, but there may be a cost that varies by location
- 800-CLEAN-UP – you can call them to help you find an appropriate disposal center near you
Can you recycle fluorescent bulbs at Home Depot?
The Home Depot offers a simple, free program to help recycle old CFL bulbs at all of its locations. The tune is an old one: Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs because they absorb less energy and have a longer life than their incandescent counterparts.
Can LED and fluorescent tubes be mixed?
Yes, and there are advantages to mixing them. LEDs light up instantly, while CFLs can take longer, so a mix is faster than CFLs alone. While CFLs don’t reach full brightness instantly, their slowness is much less noticeable with one or two LEDs in the mix.
Why don’t LED bulbs work in my fixture?
There can be a couple of reasons why sometimes you can’t simply put LEDs in any old fixture. As mentioned above, if an existing fixture has a dimming feature and your new LEDs are not compatible. You will have problems with dimming capabilities, such as flickering or strobe lights or incomplete dimming.
Ways to reuse bulbs
Before you recycle your old bulbs, consider ways to reuse them: as long as they don’t contain harmful substances, you can give them a new life with a little creativity.
It’s always a good idea to reuse an object before discarding it to conserve the Earth’s finite resources and reduce waste. Light bulbs are surprisingly versatile, especially if you’re crafty. Here are some ideas for reusing them:
- Fill it with soil and small plants to make a terrarium
- Use it to hold an air plant
- Fill the bulb with water to make a vase
- Turn the light bulb into a DIY snow globe
- Paint it and use it as a Christmas ornament