Trash Collectors Refuse to Pick Up Toxic Eco-Bulbs

Moonbattery ^ | March 10, 2011

[RC2]

A few months ago, the government put out a list of things to do if one of these bulbs broke and how to dispose of it. This was done because of ???????????

[sionnsar]

Fight the government, not the technology.
My lord this country has become such a bunch of scared pussycats.

Yup.

[CSM]

“Yep, everyone becomes a criminal subject to the heavy-hand of the state.”

**************************

“There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced nor objectively interpreted and you create a nation of law-breakers.”

Quote by: Ayn Rand
(1905-1982) Author
Source: “Atlas Shrugged”, Part II, Chapter 3

[La Lydia]

Our garage looks like a light bulb warehouse.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

****Big frikkin deal folks.

The big flourescent bulbs have too, for 50 years!

The ones that have been in ur skoolz! In ur workz! Get over it!***

Forty eight years ago we used to take the florescent bulbs to the local trash dump (remember them?) and toss them just to watch them disentegrate! Great fun throwing away twenty at a time over several years!

BUT NOW, the company I worked for has a very tight HAZMAT requirements and all burned out cfl bulbs are stored till they can be disposed in a proper manner by getting them hauled away as ....HAZARDOUS WASTE.

They also have an emergency proceedure if one breaks, along with lots of Mercury clean up kits.

[az_gila]

Also, the amount of mercury in one thermometer is about 5000x more than a CFL lightbulb.

I think you're off a bit. The old fever thermometers contained somewhere from .5 to 3 grams of mercury. I believe CFLs today are down around 3 milligrams. So the ratio is approximately 1:160 to 1:1000.

---

But the thermometer is in liquid form and hard to digest accidentally.

Isn't the mercury in the CFL bulbs in a gaseous form and easier to ingest by breathing?

[ßuddaßudd]

From the earth, back to the earth.

[faucetman]

The hysteria and just plain lies about CFLs has to stop. They save a tremendous amount of energy. They outlast regular bulbs. They contain a TINY amount of mercury which is a natural element found naturally in the dirt in your garden.

“In short, the exposure from breaking a compact fluorescent bulb is in about the same range as the exposure from eating a can or two of tuna fish.”

http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/31/cfl_mercury-2/

[AnotherUnixGeek]

But for conservatives to turn around and stand on the “these bulbs are oh so poisonous” bullcrap is ridiculous.

My issues with these bulbs aren't about mercury (though it's worth noting that the new mandate will necessarily involve a big increase in the amount of mercury which must be disposed).

My issues are that CFLs are inadequate and unattractive as lighting solutions. They also appear to have shorter lives. And finally, it's none of the government's business (or the Sierra Club's business) what light bulb I choose to use in my home.

[faucetman]

I am usually impressed with the intelligence displayed on FR. BUT, when CFLs or 1.6 gpf toilets come up for discussion, IQs drop off a cliff. Why is that?

[La Lydia]

I think it is that people resent the government mandating things like this. If the CFL bulbs are efficient, and save money, they should be available to people who want to buy them. But the government shouldn’t be forcing their use and denying other people the kind of bulbs they want to use. Ditto with the toilets. We have a well and consume our own well water. It is none of the government’s business how much water our toilets use.

[stompk]

These "eco bulbs" last a fraction of the time you are used to having a large flourescent tube last. In fact, the eco bulbs don't last much longer than standard incandescent bulbs.

we live in an old house and our electricity seems to be a little iffy. as in, when the heater kicks on, the lights dim, and if the dryer and the microwave are on at the same time, we pop a breaker. we moved to the eco bulbs in the hallway just to try them out, and they only last about a month. i'm guessing they don't like the surges.

[PATRIOT1876]

Once again the greenies seek to destroy our planet one way or another.

Either by vilifying those who disagree because they are against science and/or common sense, or because they are against proserity because it doesn't fall in line with their socialist plans.

[PATRIOT1876]

^prosperity

[Doogle]

But for conservatives to turn around and stand on the “these bulbs are oh so poisonous” bullcrap is ridiculous.

..the reason I said drop them of at the DNC is because the new way of disposal is something I want them to concern themselves about....not me

[LoneStarGI]

Where the argument gets lost is that it’s really about the Government telling you you can’t use an incandescent bulb and must use a CFL. Yes, CFLs if used ‘properly’ can reduce energy costs. However, a lot of people treat a CFL like a regular bulb and that has been shown to reduce both the effectiveness and lifespan of a CFL bulb (ie. burning out quickly, not disposing off properly, et al). If you want to use a CFL, fine, that’s your choice, but don’t force others to use them if they don’t want to. I also find it interesting that whenever conversations about energy save bulbs come up, no one mentions LED lights. LED lights offer a huge amount of energy savings, can be used just like an incandescent bulb but you don’t have to worry about ‘questionable substances’.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I am usually impressed with the intelligence displayed on FR. BUT, when CFLs or 1.6 gpf toilets come up for discussion, IQs drop off a cliff.

This is both false and remarkably arrogant. There are valid reasons to dislike and resent the imposition of CFLs, low-flow toilets, phosphate-free dishwasher detergent, bans on plastic bags, bans on plastic bottles and the hundreds of other restrictive laws passed by government at every level at the instigation of environmental groups.

These laws are often useless or counter-productive, always impose a financial cost on taxpayers, subtly but undeniably degrade our quality of life, and erode our control over our own lives.

[CSM]

“hardly anyone worried much about breaking the 2’, 4’, and 8’ fluorescent tubes used heavily in commercial, institutional and industrial buildings.”

It was the opposite in fact. It used to be a fun time to break them down in bunches.

[Oztrich Boy]

But confused consumers are putting the new bulbs — classed as hazardous waste — in their dustbins when they burn out,

What evidence is there consumers are confused, rather than choosing not to obey the Lords of the Council?

[discostu]

Paranoia. Governments are the primary source of the current mercury paranoia. It let’s them pass idiotic regulations with fines and taxes and other stuff government really enjoys. That computer you’re reading this from probably has one of those “don’t put me in the trash” stickers, they don’t want you to put it in the trash because some of the solder has lead, very very small amounts of lead which won’t actually pose a hazard to anyone anywhere ever, but thanks to RoHS (and related) if you throw it out in an unapproved way you’re a criminal.