Important Note: Handling and Disposal of CFLs
The mercury in compact fluorescent bulbs poses no threat while in the bulb, but if you break one: - open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more - immediately use a wet rag to clean it up and put all of the pieces, and the rag, into a plastic bag - place all materials in a second sealed plastic bag - call your local recycling center to see if they accept this material, otherwise put it in your local trash. Wash your hands afterward. - if bulb breaks on a carpet, pick up pieces using sticky tape. If any debris remains, use the vacuum and dispose of vacuum bag by sealing it in plastic bags (as above), before disposal.
Although household CFL bulbs may legally be disposed of with regular trash (in most US states), they are categorized as household hazardous waste. As long as the waste is sent to a modern municipal landfill, the hazard to the environment is limited. However, CFLs should not be sent to an incinerator, which would disperse the mercury into the atmosphere.
The best solution is to save spent CFLs for a community household hazardous waste collection, which would then send the bulbs to facilities capable of treating, recovering or recycling them. For more information on CFL disposal or recycling, you can contact your local municipality.
Course I prolly consume more in my can of tuna fish than I ever have to worry about breaking a bulb! LOL
Sheesh...
Kinda like the old asbestos floor tiles, eh?