Have you ever wondered what to do with those energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs when they burn out? One shouldn’t just toss them into the garbage due to the small amount of mercury (~5mg) in each bulb yet it’s not really apparent what to do with them. Presently, there are a number of pilot programs that collect and hopefully recycle the bulbs, but a sustainable and clear recycling stream has really yet to emerge.
One has to wonder if this is a business opportunity? The Wall Street Journal online has a good article discussing the pros and cons of the current state of electronics recycling including cfls (ignoring the pejorative title “The Dark Side of Green Bulbs”.)