[GreenYes] RE:Fluorescents -- education should be up front

["Reindl, John" <Reindl@no.address>]

Hi Kim ~

I totally agree. I am so amazed that businesses sell all sorts of products and then expect government to spend the money on education,  collection and recycling or disposal. 

I am also totally amazed that we in government do this, providing another subsidy to the business community.

I think that this is an area ripe for manufacturers' responsbility.

Some states have laws requiring mercury-containing products to be labeled, with information on its composition and how to handle the old product. My county  adopted an ordinance in 2002 requiring that retailers both provide take-back of fluorescents (and mercury thermostats) and to post information at the time of sale that these products are banned from disposal at the county landfill (due to the mercury) and that the store will provide take back. 

John 
Dane County, WI 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kim Leslie [mailto:kimleslie1@no.address]
> Sent: Friday, May 11, 2007 8:32 AM
> To: Reindl, John
> Cc: David Biddle; GreenYes@no.address
> Subject: Re: [GreenYes] RE:Mercury from fluorescents -- a 
> future problem
> and in the commercial sector
> 
> 
> Hi John,
> 
> It seems like education is the biggest issue in all this. Look at all
> the campaigns urging people to switch to CFLs in the first place.
> Where is the foot note that said "by the way, when this bulb goes,
> don't throw it in the trash"? The education campaign should have been
> introduced as soon as those bulbs were on the market. I think it's
> great that producers are stepping up and working to reduce the mercury
> (they'll have to if they want to sell these in Europe anyway), but
> it's there now and most consumers (and I include businesses in this)
> are still blissfully unaware of what's in a CFL or an LED for that
> matter.
> 
> Well, that's my two cents, I'll go back to sitting on the bench now.
> 
> Cheers!
> 
> Kim
> 
> On 5/11/07, Reindl, John <Reindl@no.address> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hi David ~
> >
> > As I noted in my earlier note, the amount of mercury released to the
> > enivorment from fluorescents is decreasing, in part due to 
> the reduction in
> > the mercury content on a per lamp basis. This trend could 
> change in the
> > future if we have a massive change in the sale of fluorescents.
> >
> > Yes, most fluorescents are used in the commercial sector 
> (80+ percent), but
> > the number used by households is increasing rapidly. Education and
> > enforcement will be important along with providing 
> convenient take-back
> > locations and the removal of the household exemption that 
> allows households
> > to send hazardous wastes to landfills and incinerators. 
> California has taken
> > the lead on this for a wide range of materials, while other 
> states have
> > banned the landfilling and incineration of all 
> mercury-containing products
> > from all sources.
> >
> > Cheers,
> >
> > John
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: GreenYes@no.address 
> [mailto:GreenYes@no.address]On Behalf
> > Of David Biddle
> > Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 7:50 PM
> > To: Reindl, John; GreenYes@no.address
> > Subject: [GreenYes] Re: mercury from fluorescents
> >
> > I'm not following this issue yet close enough, but wouldn't 
> most of the
> > fluorescent mercury be coming from tube lamps still? Don't 
> we have about the
> > 3-5 years before we see the problem with CFLs? And isn't 
> this a matter of
> > education and enforcement of the commercial sector where 
> the predominant
> > population of fluorescent tubes is found? They don't 
> circumvent CERCLA the
> > way residential does. Just asking? The number of businesses 
> I see weekly
> > that don't have a fluorescent lamp recycling program is staggering.
> >
> > db
> > --
> > David Biddle, Executive Director
> > <http://www.blueolives.blogspot.com>
> > Greater Philadelphia Commercial Recycling Council
> > P.O. Box 4037
> > Philadelphia, PA 19118
> >
> > 215-247-3090 (desk)
> > 215-432-8225 (cell)
> >
> > <http://www.gpcrc.com>
> >
> > Read In Business magazine to learn about sustainable
> > businesses in communities across North America!
> > Go to: <http://www.jgpress.com/inbusine.htm>
> >
> > on 5/10/07 3:08 PM, Reindl, John at Reindl@no.address wrote:
> >
> >
> > According to the mercury flow model done for EPA, the 
> release of mercury
> > from fluorescents to the environment in 2005 in the US is 
> estimated at about
> > 8.2 metric tons, down from 13.7 metric tons in 2000.
> >
> > All the coal burning power plants in the US emit about 45 
> metric tons of
> > mercury to the air.
> >
> > So, fluorescents are not an insignificant source of mercury 
> emissions to the
> > environment.
> >
> > Please let me know if you would like a copy of the model, 
> which is an Excel
> > spreadsheet.
> >
> > John Reindl
> > Dane County, WI
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: GreenYes@no.address
> > [mailto:GreenYes@no.address]On Behalf Of
> > daklute@no.address
> > Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 1:51  PM
> > To: Doug Koplow
> > Cc: bill@no.address;  GreenYes@no.address
> > Subject: [GreenYes] Re: Ban the Bulb --  But don't create a 
> new toxic
> > problem, say local  governments
> >
> > The ENERGY STAR program has pretty rigorous  QA/QC in terms of lumen
> > maintenance and hours of use. If they don't perform,  they don't get
> > certified. IF they don't get certified, Wal-Mart won't sell 
>  them. Also, the
> > EPACT set up certain hours of use requirmenets for CFL's - 
> I  think it is
> > 6000.
> >
> > Don't forget, as a source of anthropogenic Hg, this  is a 
> very small one.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >  > >
> >
> 

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