[Klub Class]

Disclaimer : I dont know if this is the right place to discuss this, but just wanted to share my experience with you all and get my queries answered.

Are you one among the hundreds scratching and banging your head to find out a proper/scientific way to dispose CFL lamps and Fluorescent lamps? If yes, we're in same boat

IIRC, fluorescent lamps contain mercury and even small amount of mercury can be harmful to our health and environment.So, if a fluorescent lamp breaks, the mercury and other toxic chemical inside can leach out and poison our water resources. It can even enter our body through the air we breathe.

Currently, we have a collection of nearly 40 + fluorescent tube lights and 20+ CFL lamps. Being ignorant of the proper and scientific ways of disposing, we keep them in a safe place in our store room. Moreover, I had asked few of my friends and relatives the same question and they didn't have an answer for my question.

To be frank, I've seen people throwing fluorescent lamps to the neighbor's compound, disposing it on the road sides and all. To say the least, I find it very absurd.

Your inputs and suggestions are welcome.

Regards,
Amith

[maddy42]

In some countries retailer offers a return of the CFL when it stops working. This is usually done in the developed countries where there are ways to dispose garbage safely.

Want to watch what is a solution here as it will be a problem plaguing everyone

[unoczar]

Couldn't really find any solution, the manufacturers must take it back.

Awareness and Patience to store it is the key.

These two links might help.

CFL Waste Waste2resource.com – India's Recycling & Waste Management

India?s first ?Green? CFL Havells India

[Surviving Brain]

Interesting observation. And yes, it is the truth - no one really knows how to dispose CFL & fluorescent lamps in India.

Proud to say that I am among that "few people" who stores CFL lamps & fluorescents lamps instead of disposing it in the public.

Originally Posted by unoczar

Couldn't really find any solution, the manufacturers must take it back.

+1 to you

Awareness and Patience to store it is the key.

So true. Let's wait for a day on which we might be able to dispose them safely. Period.

These two links might help.

CFL Waste Waste2resource.com – India's Recycling & Waste Management

India?s first ?Green? CFL Havells India

Thanks a lot for the links.

Best Regards,
Surviving Brain.

[Ragul]

Good topic and absolutely the need of the hour.

It is really alarming the way our Govt is promoting and subsidizing CFLs with all their mercury content and absolutely no accompanying initiative and regulations and public education about correct method of disposal.

We are heading towards a timebomb with all our ground water contaminated by mercury in another decade as people dispose off their CFLs in public and our borewells suck up the contaminated water.

Not to mention its consequences to Mother Earth.

We need a major drive in public education to prevent the poisoning of our planet.

[bblost]

I forwarded this thread to my Uncle who has experience in waste management. He in turn forwarded the same to people in the pollution control board.

I am not at a liberty to reveal names. But trust me this is a matter of grave concern for them as well.


Some comments from them:

Mostly, tubelights and CFLs end their operating lives by oxidation/corrosion of the entire system inside, which is why we see the black patches inside. LEDs of the hi-luxeage type are also likely to include toxic metalloids and plastic containers.

Given the long life of tubelights, I guess it was not as much a cause of alarm as it is now. The population of tubelights, LED-lights and CFLs has grown exponentially, as to almost phase out filament lamps.

Perhaps it is time to conceive a regime of EPR on all lamp manufacturers. Scrap collectors and dealers, of lamps and scrap, could be incentivized too.

Pls see the new guideline by CPCB on this issue. - http://www.cpcb.nic.in/upload/NewIte...GUIDELINES.pdf.
Kindly refer to the domestic consumers section for info that may have some responses to your query.

[Klub Class]

Originally Posted by maddy42

In some countries retailer offers a return of the CFL when it stops working. This is usually done in the developed countries where there are ways to dispose garbage safely.

I envy the people who live there!

Originally Posted by unoczar

Couldn't really find any solution, the manufacturers must take it back.

Awareness and Patience to store it is the key.

+1 to you.

And that suggests that I should store the lamps for a few more years down the line! Sigh.

These two links might help.

Thank you for sharing those links for the benefit of others. Yes, it was very informative.

Originally Posted by Surviving Brain

Interesting observation. And yes, it is the truth - no one really knows how to dispose CFL & fluorescent lamps in India.

lol! Those lines really speak the truth!

Originally Posted by Ragul

Good topic and absolutely the need of the hour.

It is really alarming the way our Govt is promoting and subsidizing CFLs with all their mercury content and absolutely no accompanying initiative and regulations and public education about correct method of disposal.

Yes, the government seems to be acting very crazy!! But, how can we people make our government to take some initiatives?

We are heading towards a timebomb with all our ground water contaminated by mercury in another decade as people dispose off their CFLs in public and our borewells suck up the contaminated water.

I agree with you totally and that's the reason why I always make sure that I advice people against disposing the CFLs in the public and even in their own compound. But, they try to reinforce their state of being 'perfect', when I advice them!

Moreover, those 'morally perfect people' won't give a damn about it and they'll still continue doing the same.

We need a major drive in public education to prevent the poisoning of our planet.

+1 to you.

Originally Posted by bblost

I forwarded this thread to my Uncle who has experience in waste management. He in turn forwarded the same to people in the pollution control board.

That's very nice of you Sir. Please do keep us updated if you get any further information/advice/suggestions from them.

EDIT : I'm looking forward to hear the ways T-BHPians dispose the CFLs. Keeping my fingers crossed!

[CrackedHead]

My employer has bins around the office location to collect e-Waste - what they actually do with the e-Waste that is collected is anybody's guess.

[Chopper]

I have the same here at my office too. They got a place where we can dump our E-Waste. I think all these Shopping malls should start collecting the ewaste and dispose them in a safer way.

[blorebuddy]

I have few CFLs which are not working need to be recycled. Anywhere in South Bangalore can i deposit my CFLs?

Also I have a VCP, VCD Player and a DVD player which are old and may or may not work. Where to dump them?

[condor]

Excellent initiative !

e-Waste can now be dropped off at select post offices. Please check the main post office in your area. This may also be available in Bangalore-One centres.

I am not sure if this has been extended to other cities

[ObsessedByFIAT]

Originally Posted by condor

Excellent initiative !
e-Waste can now be dropped off at select post offices.

That pic shows that tubelights and CFLs cannot be dumped in the e-waste box!

I am too in line to understand how to dispose these things safely and securely.

As a side note, have you guys come across these 'special' people who can eat/swallow an entire tubelight? I wonder what kind of health hazards they are putting themselves into? Shouldn't such things be discouraged or banned?

[condor]

Originally Posted by ObsessedByFIAT

That pic shows that tubelights and CFLs cannot be dumped in the e-waste box!

Saahas is a NGO that is into management of e-waste. You could reach out to them. For CFL and Tubelights, the gas inside needs to be sucked out from the tubes. This needs special equipment, and the processing company actually charges us to recycle the lamps we give them. (Saahas is only front ending, and will in turn take it to the processing company).

[srvm]

Originally Posted by condor

Excellent initiative !
e-Waste can now be dropped off at select post offices. Please check the main post office in your area. This may also be available in Bangalore-One centres.
I am not sure if this has been extended to other cities

Originally Posted by condor

Saahas is a NGO that is into management of e-waste. You could reach out to them. For CFL and Tubelights, the gas inside needs to be sucked out from the tubes. This needs special equipment, and the processing company actually charges us to recycle the lamps we give them. (Saahas is only front ending, and will in turn take it to the processing company).

Thank you for the information, Condor
Folks who live in and near Indiranagar, Bangalore can drop their CFL lamps and other electronic waste items at Daily Dump (near 12th Main, Indiranagar). Dailydump in turn gives it away to some NGO (probably Saahas) for recycling. I have been doing this for more than a year now. Quite convenient.


EDIT:
Excerpt taken from Saahas website:

To facilitate responsible recycling for individual consumers of electrical and electronic equipment after their end-of-life, we have set up collection points where individuals can drop off their E-Waste. We assure you that all E-Waste collected will be sent to an authorized recycler.
E-Waste drop points

• Kasa Rasa 1: Premises of Hot Mix Plant, Koramangala 6th Block, Ejipura.
  Timings: 10 am - 6 pm. (Sunday closed)
• Kasa Rasa 2: High Tension Wire ground, Koramangala 5th Block, Near Hotel Empire.
  Timings: 10 am - 6 pm (Sunday closed)
• Kasa Rasa 3: Survey no.15, Alpine Eco Road, ORR-Whitefield Bypass Road, Donnenekundi- 560048
  Timings: 10am – 6 pm (Sunday closed)
• Saahas Head Office:#21, Ground Floor, MCHS Colony,5th C Cross, 16th Main,BTM Layout 2nd Stage, Bangalore - 560076
  Timings: 9.30 am - 6.30 pm (Monday to Friday),
  9.30 am-4.30 pm (Saturday), Closed on Sundays
• RWA Library, Koramangala 3rd Block, Inside Park, behind Post Office, Between 10th and 12th Main (Ward 151).
  Timings: 5 am - 11 am
  4 pm-7 pm
• Hippocampus Library: 525, 16th Main, Koramangala 3rd Block, Bangalore 560034.
  Timings: 10 am-7 pm (Monday closed)

Saahas Zero Waste is an authorized collection centre certified by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. We have also been instrumental in upgrading the informal sector and have always strived to channelizing them in-line with the formal methods of the E-Waste ecosystem.

(full details here)

[CCRider]

Has anybody used https://scraptap.in/ services for waste disposal. It says on thier website that they accept light bulbs. I am looking for some safe way to dispose off my old hazardous CFL and Fluorescent tube lights in Hyderabad even if I have to drop off the waste at some distance or pay a small fee.