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[GreenYes] Re: Compact fluorescent bulb deposits



The good thing about the box is that it will hold a dozen bulbs most people
will only have 1 or 2 bulbs at a time to dispose of. This box would be good
to have at stores who do sell the bulbs as an exchange or a place to drop
off the bulbs when someone buys a new one. This way the cost is spread out a
little.

What needs to happen is a way for people to get light that doesn't rely on a
hazardous material, until then this is the best we could come up with.

Bruce


RecycleFirst
100 Main St., Ste 210
Dover, NH 03820
603-516-3713
F 603-516-7333
Contract GS-02F-0158N

-----Original Message-----
From: GreenYes@no.address [mailto:GreenYes@no.address] On Behalf
Of Stephen N Weisser
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 9:55 AM
To: 'Doug Koplow'; bsteinberg@no.address
Cc: GreenYes@no.address
Subject: [GreenYes] Re: Compact fluorescent bulb deposits


Right. But it is a good solution till other (better) solutions are put in
place. It's an option for those who want to do the right thing and are
willing to pay for it.

For people that would figure the cost of this program into the savings by
using the bulbs...It's not a big deal...

Perhaps the impact of shipping the product back is the same as driving to
the HHW collection.


Stephen N. Weisser, Sales Manager
GreenLine Paper Company, Inc.
631 S. Pine Street
York, PA 17403
717-845-8697
1-800-641-1117
stevew@no.address
www.greenlinepaper.com
Close the loop: recycling works when we buy recycled.

-----Original Message-----
From: GreenYes@no.address [mailto:GreenYes@no.address] On Behalf
Of Doug Koplow
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:25 AM
To: bsteinberg@no.address
Cc: GreenYes@no.address
Subject: [GreenYes] Re: Compact fluorescent bulb deposits


But this means that the cost to recycle the bulbs is quite a significant
portion of the cost to buy them. During sales events at Home Depot, the
smaller CFLs can sell for around $1.50 each. And the direct cost is in
addition to the various environmental impacts of packaging and shipping
small quantities of product via common carrier.

To me, this doesn't seem like a viable solution for a market that is to be
measured in the tens of millions of units. Furthermore, if you really want
to deal with the mercury, the incentive to recover the bulbs has to be built
into its pricing and/or distribution structure -- not an optional add-on
service that only a small portion of the consumer base will partake in.

_______________________________
Doug Koplow
Earth Track, Inc.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue - 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02140
www.earthtrack.net
Tel: 617/661-4700
Fax: 617/354-0463

CONFIDENTIAL
This message, and all attachments thereto, is for the designated recipient
only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise private
information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete the original. Any other use of the email by you is
prohibited.
>>> "Bruce Steinberg" <bsteinberg@no.address> 02/19/07 10:26 AM
>>> >>>
We at RecycleFirst are now offering the CONSUMER CFL RECYCLING KIT,
https://www.buyrecycledfirst.com/ProductDetails.aspx?PId=307679

Product Description
This 6"x6"x6" kit can hold up to 12 small compact fluorescent lamps and 6-8
medium to large compact fluorescent lamps. Price includes the container,
liner, liner tie, instructions, terms and conditions, outbound and return
shipping and processing. Shipped via USPS outbound and FedEx Ground on
return. Not available in Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico Product Code : RF123
SKU Number : RF123 Manufacturer : Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C
Price : $15.00

This is a great way if people want to pay to have the bulbs properly
disposed of. If any one is interested I would be happy to send more
information.

Bruce


RecycleFirst
100 Main St., Ste 210
Dover, NH 03820
603-516-3713
F 603-516-7333
Contract GS-02F-0158N

-----Original Message-----
From: GreenYes@no.address [mailto:GreenYes@no.address] On Behalf
Of Doug Koplow
Sent: Sunday, February 18, 2007 12:24 AM
To: Reindl@no.address; GreenYes@no.address
Subject: [GreenYes] Compact fluorescent bulb deposits


The price of compact fluorescents has fallen dramatically over the past few
years as more of the technology has matured and production has shifted to
China. This would seem to open the way for instituting a deposit per bulb
of $0.50 - $1.00 without affecting sales that much. Is there discussion of
this approach to controlling disposal?

_______________________________
Doug Koplow
Earth Track, Inc.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue - 4th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02140
www.earthtrack.net
Tel: 617/661-4700
Fax: 617/354-0463

CONFIDENTIAL
This message, and all attachments thereto, is for the designated recipient
only and may contain privileged, proprietary, or otherwise private
information. If you have received it in error, please notify the sender
immediately and delete the original. Any other use of the email by you is
prohibited.
>>> "Reindl, John" <Reindl@no.address> 02/16/07 14:40 PM >>>
FYI; a good way to get toxics out of the waste stream...

-----Original Message-----
From: Hg-Info@no.address [mailto:Hg-Info@no.address]On Behalf Of
mercurypolicy@no.address
Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 5:04 AM
To: mwg-mercury@no.address; Hg-Info@no.address






"General Electric has been making compact fluorescents for 20 years. Now the
company admits that the little bit of mercury in each bulbs could become a
real problem if sales balloon as expected.


"Given what we anticipate to be the significant increase in the use of these
products, we are now beginning to look at, and shortly we'll be discussing
with legislators, possibly a national solution here," says Earl Jones, a
senior counsel for General Electric.

In fact, Jones said he was having his first talks with congressional
staffers on Thursday."

See complete story below.

Michael

National Public Radio
Environment

CFL Bulbs Have One Hitch: Toxic Mercury


Listen to this story...
<http://download.npr.org/anon.npr-www/chrome/icon_listen.gif> by Elizabeth
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4566209> Shogren


CFL bulb
<http://media.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2007/feb/cfl/cflstandard.jpg>
iStockphoto.com




Tips & Advice


*
<http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/ask_us/faq_compact.htm#mercury>
General Electric: FAQs on Mercury & Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

* <http://www.nema.org/lamprecycle/epafactsheet-cfl.pdf> Fact Sheet:
Mercury in CFL Bulbs(Requires
<http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html> Adobe Acrobat)

*
<http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fac
t_Sheet_Mercury.pdf> Energy Star: FAQs on Disposing of CFL Bulbs(Requires
<http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html> Adobe Acrobat)





In Depth


<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198#7282810>
Scroll down to read advice from the EPA and Energy Department on what to
look for in a CFL - and get a home energy calculator.





<http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=2> All Things
Considered, February 15, 2007 * The Environmental Protection Agency and some
large business, including Wal-Mart, are aggressively promoting the sale of
compact fluorescent light bulbs as a way to save energy and fight global
warming. They want Americans to buy many millions of them over the coming
years.

But the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, a neurotoxin, and the
companies and federal government haven't come up with effective ways to get
Americans to recycle them.

"The problem with the bulbs is that they'll break before they get to the
landfill. They'll break in containers, or they'll break in a dumpster or
they'll break in the trucks. Workers may be exposed to very high levels of
mercury when that happens," says John Skinner, executive director of the
Solid Waste Association of North America, the trade group for the people who
handle trash and recycling.

Skinner says when bulbs break near homes, they can contaminate the soil.

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin, and it's especially dangerous for children
and fetuses. Most exposure to mercury comes from eating fish contaminated
with mercury,

Some states, cities and counties have outlawed putting CFL bulbs in the
trash, but in most state the practice is legal.

Pete Keller works for Eco Lights Northwest, the only company in Washington
State that recycles fluorescent lamps. He says it is illegal to put the
bulbs in the trash in some counties in Washington, but most people still
throw them out.

"I think most people do want to recycle, but if it's not made easy, it
doesn't happen," Keller says. "And they're small enough to fit in a trash
can. So by nature, I think most people are not recyclers. So if it's small
enough to fit in a trash can, that's where it ends up."

Experts agree that it's not easy for most people to recycle these bulbs.
Even cities that have curbside recycling won't take the bulbs. So people
have to take them to a hazardous-waste collection day or a special facility.


The head of the Environmental Protection Agency program concedes that not
enough has been done to urge people to recycle CFL bulbs and make it easier
for them to do so.

"I share your frustration that there isn't a national infrastructure for the
proper recycling of this product," says Wendy Reed, who manages EPA's Energy
Star program. That programs gives the compact bulbs its "energy star" seal
of approval.

She says that even though fluorescent bulbs contain mercury, using them
contributes less mercury to the environment than using regular incandescent
bulbs. That's because they use less electricity - and coal-fired power
plants are the biggest source of mercury emissions in the air.

"The compact fluorescent light bulb is a product people can use to
positively influence the environment to. prevent mercury emissions as well
as greenhouse gas emissions. And it's something that we can do now - and
it's extremely important that we do do it," Reed says. "And the positive
message is, if you recycle them, if you dispose of them properly, then
they're doing a world of good."

Reed says the agency has been urging stores that sell the bulbs to help
recycle them.

"EPA is actively engaged with trying to find a solution that works for these
retailers around recycling the product, because it's really, really
important," Reed says.

But so far, she says the biggest sellers of the bulbs haven't stepped up to
the plate.

"The only retailer that I know of that is recycling is IKEA," she says,
referring to the Swedish-owned furniture chain store.

Reed says the EPA has been prodding other retailers, such as Wal-Mart, to do
more.

"We are working with Wal-Mart on it, we are making some progress. But no
commitments have been made on the part of Wal-Mart," she says.

Wal-Mart didn't respond to requests for a comment on the issue.

EPA also has asked retailers to sell the lower mercury compact bulbs that
some manufacturers are making. Engineers say you can't cut mercury out
completely.

Some other big companies have started paying attention to the recycling
problem.

General Electric has been making compact fluorescents for 20 years. Now the
company admits that the little bit of mercury in each bulbs could become a
real problem if sales balloon as expected.

"Given what we anticipate to be the significant increase in the use of these
products, we are now beginning to look at, and shortly we'll be discussing
with legislators, possibly a national solution here," says Earl Jones, a
senior counsel for General Electric.

In fact, Jones said he was having his first talks with congressional
staffers on Thursday.


Why Use a CFL?


<http://www.npr.org/> NPR.org, February 8, 2007 * According to the federal
government, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an
Energy Star approved compact fluorescent bulb (CFL), the United States would
save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and
prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.

Energy Star is a joint project with the Environmental Protection Agency and
the Department of Energy that promotes energy efficient - and thus
climate-friendly - products.

But not all CFLs are created equal. Here, some tips from Energy Star about
what to look for and where to use a CFL:

The Benefits

- Energy Star qualified CFLs use at least two-thirds less energy than
standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer (average lifespan
of a CFL is five years).

- CFLs save $30 or more in energy costs over each bulb's lifetime.

- CFLs generate 70 percent less heat, making them safer to operate.

Where to Use

- To get the most energy savings, replace bulbs where lights are on the
most, such as the family and living rooms, kitchen, dining room and porch.

- Install them in hard to reach fixtures, like ceiling fans.

- Make sure the CFL matches the right fixture by reading any restrictions on
the package. Some CFLs work with dimmers, others are specially made for
recessed or enclosed fixtures.

Myths

- CFLs have a harsh, cold light quality. Increasingly, this is less of an
issue. Over the past few years, manufacturers have worked to provide a
warmer color. Some people say they still notice a difference, but the gap is
narrowing. For a warmer, white light, look for a color temperature of
2,700-3,000K on the package.

- CFLs aren't for bathrooms. Not necessarily. CFLs can work in bathrooms,
but humidity may shorten the bulb's life.

- CFLs can't be used in older houses. In fact, CFLs may work better than
incandescent bulbs in houses with older wiring; CFLs generate less heat and
draw less electrical current.




Related NPR Stories


*

Feb. 15, 2007
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431195>
Letters: Zarif, the Dentist's Chair, and CFL Bulbs

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198>
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7431198

Michael Bender, Director
Mercury Policy Project/
Zero Mercury Working Group
1420 North Street
Montpelier, VT USA 05602
<http://www.mercurypolicy.org/> www.mercurypolicy.org
<http://www.zeromercury.org/> www.zeromercury.org
Tel: +802-223-9000


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