The toddler played where an entire carton of 8 ft fluorescent tubes had broken. How can a little tiny compact fluorescent compare with that. Just clean up broken CFL carefully, double bag it and discard. It would be a good thing if Home Depot, Lowes and others would allow a drop off. I once broke a thermometer as a child and played with the little blob of mercury for a while. I am now 72 and in good health. Govt has to oversell the dangers of things like mercury, asbestos, etc. or they will be accused of not protecting the public. Very minor occasional exposure should not be a problem.
I don’t know about Lowe’s, but I do know that Home Depot has a drop off for old batteries and fluorescent bulbs. It is usually at the return desk area.