Stewardship Tip Mar 30th, 2010- Recycle CFLs
Compact Florescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) are a two edged sword.
On the one hand, they save you money by slicing your electricity usage and, in areas powered by coal-fired, power plants, they reduce emissions.
On the other hand, CFLs use mercury vapor to produce light. They contain small amounts of mercury, between 3.5 and 15 milligrams per bulb. If they are improperly discarded, they can introduce mercury directly into the soil or a body of water.
Even small amounts of mercury can cause significant problems to both humans and fish. Mercury can adversely affect the immune system, it can alter genetic and enzyme systems, and it can damage the nervous system. According to the United States Geological Survey, mercury was the second leading cause of stream impairment throughout the United States. Atmospheric deposition is the primary source of mercury pollution, mercury in solid waste contributes to stream contamination as well.
There is no reason that a CFL, or any fluorescent bulb for that matter, should be discarded. All of the components can be recycled and there are a multitude of convenient options for doing so.
The US EPA maintains a web page that lists CFL and fluorescent bulb collection and recycling programs by state. earth911 is a tremendous resource for finding recycling programs in your area and has extensive listings of centers that will recycle CFLs. And, many vendors, including the Home Depot, accept CFLs for recycling at their stores throughout the North America.
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Join us at the Recycled Fish Conservation Forum hosted by Big Fish Tackle for discussions on the Stewardship Tip and other issues relating to the future of our fisheries.
This week’s sponsor-partner:Grasshopper Products
Grasshopper Products is home of the monoMASTER.
Featured in Field and Stream as the “Best of the Best” in 2009, the monoMASTER is an innovative fishing tool that helps eliminate waste fishing line in the environment. This handy tool collects all the waste line that you generate when changing flies or rigs. Hang it from a fishing vest, put it in your pocket, or place one in your tackle box.
Whether you generate an inch or a few yards of waste, the monoMASTER provides an easy and environmentally sound solution.
In addition to their partnership to sponsor this week’s Stewardship Tip, we would like to thank them for sponsoring the Recycled Fish 24 Hour Fish a Thon.
Rising demand for our weekly Stewardship Tip and a new partnership with Fly Cast America now makes the Stewardship Tip available in Spanish. Ahora, reciba el Stewardship Tip en español. Gentileza de Fly Cast America.
To read the weekly Stewardship Tip in Spanish, click here Simplemente haga click aquí si desea recibir el Stewardship tip en Español.
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