Household Fluorescents

Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury. To dispose of them properly, residents may bring them to:

  1. Any of the following hardware stores where they will be recycled. OCRRA makes this free disposal option available to all households in Onondaga County. Only CFLs, 2-foot, 4-foot, U-shaped and circular bulbs are accepted.
  2. A participating Home Depot or Lowe’s store. Only CFLs, the small “twirly” kind are accepted.
  3. OCRRA’s free Household Toxics Drop-off program. All bulbs (including 8-foot) accepted.
    Other acceptable household toxics must be dropped off with bulbs. An appointment is required.

These programs are for residents. Businesses can find disposal services below.

If your bulb is broken, follow these clean up instructions before placing in your trash.

Partnering Hardware Stores

The following stores will accept compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs),  2–foot and 4–foot fluorescent tubes (no 8-foot tubes accepted), circular and u-shaped fluorescent lamps for recycling:

  • Bob’s Ace Hardware, 4805 S. Salina St., Syracuse
  • Calley’s Hardware, 15 North St., Marcellus
  • City Hardware, 214 S. Geddes St., Syracuse
  • Manlius True Value, 8225 Cazenovia Rd., Manlius
  • Nightingale Mills Ace Hardware, 4068 S. Street Road, Marcellus
  • Nightingale’s Tully Lakes Hardware, 6 Elm St., Tully
  • Suburban ACE Hardware, 7990 Oswego Rd., Liverpool
  • Tully Building Supply, 24 Onondaga St., Tully
  • Valu Home Center, Airport Plaza, 3803 Brewerton Rd., Syracuse
  • Valu Home Center, Western Lights Plaza, 4671 Onondaga Blvd., Syracuse
  • Village ACE Hardware, 204 S. Manlius St., Fayetteville
  • Village ACE Hardware, 43 E. Genesee St., Baldwinsville
  • Wrightway Hardware, 9236 Oswego Rd., Baldwinsville

Disposal Options for Businesses

Businesses can find disposal services on the NYSDEC’s website or below. The following locations may have different preparation requirements and fees. Call in advance for details.

Air Cycle Corporation
www.aircycle.com

American Lamp Recycling
800-315-6262
55 Riverview Drive
Marlboro, NY12542
www.americanlamprecycling.net

Auburn Armature
800-333-0519 or 315 253-9721
P.O. Box 870
Auburn, NY 13021

LampRecycling.com
888-640-6700
2200 Ogden Avenue, Ste 100
Lisle, IL 60532
www.lamprecycling.com

Miller Environmental Group
315 451-6666
532 State Fair Blvd.
Syracuse, NY 13204
www.millerenv.com

Northeast Lamp Recycling, Inc.
877-822-4733
www.nlr-green.com

Waste Management / Recycle America
www.wmlamptracker.com

WW Grainger
Grainger does NOT collect bulbs. They sell prepaid shipping boxes that can be filled with bulbs and sent to a recycling facility.
315 433-2771
6285 E. Molloy Rd.
East Syracuse , NY 13057
www.grainger.com

OCRRA does not endorse or recommend any of these companies, but rather provides their contact info in order to help you determine the best recycling solution for your business.

NYS Environmental Law

The State’s law requires the following:

  • Purchase and use of elemental mercury by primary and secondary schools is prohibited after September 4, 2004.
  • Sales of mercury thermometers are restricted after January 1, 2005.
  • Sales of toys or novelty products containing mercury are prohibited after January 1, 2005. (A product is not a mercury-added novelty solely on the basis that it is a game with a light screen display containing mercury, or includes an easily removable battery containing mercury.)
  • A manufacturer that produces or sells mercury-added novelties shall notify retailers that sell mercury-added novelties about the product ban and inform them of how to properly dispose of the remaining inventory.
  • Sales of elemental mercury, except for specific research, dental and manufacturing uses are limited after January 1, 2005.
  • Products containing mercury must be labeled after July 12, 2005.
  • Waste products containing mercury must not be incinerated after July 12, 2005.
  • After July 12, 2005, waste products containing mercury must be managed separately from other solid waste. Fluorescent lamps from households and small businesses (100 or less employees and discarding 15 or less waste lamps per month) are exempt from these disposal restrictions.
  • Recommendations on reducing mercury pollution in New York State will be made by an advisory committee appointed by the Governor and the State Legislature. The committee will be required to report on the extent and health effects of mercury contamination, methods and costs associated with reducing risks from mercury contamination and other related topics.

Three national companies, GE Lighting, Philips Lighting, and Osram Sylvania manufacture low mercury fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescents and high pressure sodium lamps. These bulbs should be available through any local company that is a distributor of commercial lighting products.