Goal For The Green

For several years the EPA ( Environmental Protection Agency), most large businesses, and power companies have been feverishly promoting the sales and usage of compact  fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). They are a great way to save money and energy, while fighting global warming.

The drawback is, these bulbs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing.  The small amount being about 5 milligrams ( equal to the tip of a ball point pin). Mercury is the essential component that allows CFLs to be an efficient light source.  It should be noted that it would take 100 CFLs to equal the mercury found in an old fashioned thermometer.  The bulbs themselves pose few risks, unless of course, they break.  Normally,there is very little risk of airborne mercury exposure.  It is when we find mercury deposits in lakes and oceans, that then find their way to the fish we eat, that the problem arises.  The most common pathway for human exposure to mercury is from eating fish.

Companies and the federal government have not yet come up with easy or effective ways for Americans to recycle these bulbs.  While most people want to recycle, if it is not easy or convenient, it doesn’t happen at all.  Currently, even though CFL bulbs contain mercury, using them emits less mercury into the environment than its predecessor the incandescent bulbs.  They use 70% less heat, which makes them safer to use, and they save you $30 or more in energy costs per bulbs lifetime.

The EPA is working hard to find a solution that works for the retailers and the consumer to recycle the product.  IKEA is the only retailer accepting the bulbs for recycle at this time.  Others such as Wal-Mart and General Electric are considering what they can do to help.

Here are a few tips on how to dispose of a broken bulb.  Vent the room for at least 15 minutes. If you have an HVAC system, turn it off.  On hards surfaces, scoop up glass fragments and powder and place in a glass jar with a metal lid, or a sealed plastic bag.  Use duct tape to pick up any remaining fragments and powder.  Wipe the area with damp paper towels and place them in the jar or plastic bag.  Do not use a broom or vacuum on hard surfaces.  Follow the same steps on carpet.  Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and clean the canister).  Place the debris in a sealed plastic bag.  Check with local or state governments about disposal requirements in your area.  Laws may vary in different states.  Consumers can contact their local or municipal solid waste agency directly for proper disposal options.  Or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org for your local recycling options.

As of today, San Francisco is banning plastic bags, and the Whole Food Markets are requesting their customers to bring their own bags.  The choice will be paper in both places.

When it comes to cost, it is much cheaper to produce a plastic bag over a paper one. The drawback is, plastic is a petroleum product.  However, it only takes approximately .003%of oil per barrell to produce alot of plastic bags.  At least 100,000 birds and marine life die each year because of the plastic that liters our beaches and other public places. This could be one of the reasons for the choice of paper over plastic in the San Francisco area.

Paper bag producton takes one 20 year old tree and four times the energy to produce 700 bags.  In 1999, America cut down 14 million trees to produce 10 billion paper bags, and that was just for that year.  The impact on our forests is mind boggling.  The forests are a major absorber of green house gases.  When we cut them down, and then use clean water and chemicals to produce the pulp to manufacture paper bags, we create more greenhouse gases.  The sad thing is there is not enough forest areas left to absorb the pollutants. It doesn’t stop there, hence, not enough trees to help with run-off from heavy rain.  So, we’ve seen more severe flooding in recent years.

The problem is, while it takes 91% less energy to recycle a pound of plastic, only 1-3% of plastic bags are recycled. Paper on the other hand, is recycled at a rate of 10-15 %  more often, and it is compostable. Plastic is not.

Nothing completely degrades anymore in our modern landfills.  This is because of the lack of water, light, oxygen and other elments that are necessary to complete the degradation process.  The end result is, paper really doesn’t brake down any faster than plastic in a landfill. It also takes up more space than plastic.  The goal should be to keep both of these products from ever reaching a land fill.  The bottom line is, we may all need to get used to BYOB – bring you own bag.

Written in association with plastic disposal experts