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Even though they can last 10 times longer than incandescents-somewhere in the neighborhood of six or eight years, depending on usage-compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) will burn out eventually. After they've saved you $30 or so in reduced energy and bulb-buying costs, you owe it to yourself and the planet to dispose of them properly; remember: you can't just throw these in the garbage.
Each CFL contains just a bit of mercury, and, though it's not hazardous to you if its broken, it's not healthy for anybody if it goes to the landfill, where it can leach into the earth or groundwater. So, it's really important to recycle these puppies, and it's getting easier and easier to do this, all the time.
Swedish furniture big-box IKEA will recycle them for free; just bring any burned out bulbs with you the next time you need some inexpensive, flat-packed furniture, and they'll take them off your hands and insure they're properly recycled. If IKEA hasn't made it to your neck of the woods, don't fret; hit up Earth911.org for CFL recyclers in your area. Click on over to IKEA for more on their other environmental initiatives.
See also: ::Choose the Right (Compact Fluorescent) Light
Difficulty level: Easy
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