3 tips from CES for handling spent fluorescent lights

  • Published
  • 436th Civil Engineer Squadron
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  Many industrial-type facilities like those on Dover AFB utilize fluorescent lights. Fluorescent bulbs produce less heat than incandescent bulbs and are more efficient. A fluorescent bulb can produce between 50 and 100 lumens per watt. This makes fluorescent bulbs four to six times more efficient than incandescent bulbs. If the lamp wattages are identical (which means they consume the same amount of power), a fluorescent lamp can produce five times more light and still last eight to 30 times longer than an incandescent lamp.

However, unlike incandescent lamps, when fluorescent bulbs are spent, they must be properly containerized and special disposal requirements are needed.

Spent fluorescent lamps are defined as universal waste. Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control have instituted regulations regarding universal waste.

These regulations are intended to facilitate environmentally sound collections and increase the proper recycling and treatment of certain types of waste. Universal waste regulations differ from traditional hazardous waste regulations in several aspects, including accumulation time and allowable stored volume.

The following guidelines apply to the accumulation of spent fluorescent lamps in both industrial and administrative facilities. 

- Containers where spent lamps are accumulated must be closed, structurally sound, compatible with lamps and must lack evidence of leakage, spillage or damage that could cause leakage under reasonably foreseeable conditions. Containers for four and eight-foot fluorescent lamps can be obtained at Buildings 650 or 1306.

- Containers must be labeled with a start date, which represents the date the lamp was accumulated and the verbiage "Universal Waste-Lamps." The container must be turned in to Building 1306 no more than six months after the start date listed on the container.

- Any lamp that is broken or shows evidence of breakage, leakage or damage must be handled as a hazardous waste and turned into the 436th Civil Engineer Squadron Environmental Flight for proper disposal. All waste must be placed in a container that is closed, structurally sound and compatible with the contents of the lamps.

Any questions pertaining to the accumulation and the storage of spent fluorescent lamps or other types of universal waste can be directed to CEV at 677-6845.

If your household has spent fluorescent lamps, they can be disposed of through the Delaware Solid Waste Authority at any one of their collection events. A listing of Delaware Solid Waste Authority collection events can be found on their Web site, www.dswa.com or contact them at 1-800-404-7080.