How to Dispose of Four-Foot Fluorescent Lights

Call your local sanitation department and ask about hazardous waste drop-off sites near you. Ask them about any fees that may apply. Some drop-off sites may accept CFLs free of charge, but others may charge for a 4-foot tube. Likewise, some hazardous waste facilities may accept light tubes from households free of charge, but they may charge a business for disposal.

Ask your sanitation department about recycling centers near you that accept fluorescent light tubes. Some home improvement stores offer fluorescent light recycling programs. Alternatively, visit LampRecycle.org, an organization that offers a list of nearby recycling centers.

Place a broken fluorescent light tube in a resealable plastic bag. Place that bag inside another resealable plastic bag and dispose of the light tube in your household trash. If the 4-foot long tube will not fit inside a resealable plastic bag, double-bag it in plastic garbage bags and tie them off tightly.