Are there regulations that require households to collect and recycle mercury-containing light bulbs?
Under federal regulations, commercial and industrial entities are required to manage mercury-containing light bulbs as a hazardous waste after they burn out. However, households are exempt from these regulations. Some states (i.e., California and Massachusetts) and counties may have more stringent requirements than the federal regulations. In these states, you must either take the fluorescent light bulb to a household hazardous waste collection facility or to a recycling facility. You should be aware of the requirements in your state. For state specific requirements, please contact your state environmental regulatory agency. Whether your state or county has stronger requirements or not, EPA encourages you to recycle all mercury-containing light bulbs.
