How to Dispose of High-Pressure Sodium Light Bulbs

High-pressure sodium lamps create light by exciting the electrons in sodium gas. They are efficient and produce less light pollution than mercury-based bulbs, making them a popular choice for outdoor lighting. They contain more than just sodium, however. The complex mixture of gases in these bulbs generally includes some mercury, which is poisonous. Take care when removing these bulbs --- not only does breaking them release mercury, but many hazardous waste facilities do not accept broken bulbs.

Instructions

• 1

  Turn off the light several minutes before you intend to remove it, as these bulbs get very hot.

• 2

  Once the bulb is cool, remove any outer light fixture and then carefully unscrew the bulb.

• 3

  Place the bulb in a padded container where it cannot break. The ideal container would be whatever specially designed box the bulb originally came in, or the one which contains the replacement bulb. If you don't have such a box, use a cardboard box or other rigid container. Wrap the bulb in a few layers of paper towel, some rags, packing peanuts or other padding.

• 4

  Look up your local hazardous waste recycling facilities. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency keeps a list of these facilities. See the Resources section for a link.

• 5

  Contact one of the facilities in your area to see what its rules are. Some come to pick up the bulbs, but many require that you drop them off yourself. Others make just one or two pickups per year, so you have to keep the bulbs in a safe place until the next pickup date.

• 6

  Do not throw the bulbs out in regular trash unless there is no hazardous waste facility in your county. In many states it is illegal to dispose of mercury-containing bulbs in regular trash, because the chemical can leach into groundwater or otherwise damage the environment --- as well as pose an immediate danger to garbage collectors. Check with your municipal authorities or garbage-collection company about the disposal laws in your state. If there is no hazardous waste facility in your area and it's OK to dispose of bulbs in the regular trash, the EPA recommends double or triple-bagging them in sealed plastic bags.