Fluorescent tube lightbulbs and HID (high intensity discharge) lamps are considered Universal Waste as defined by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). Universal Waste is a subset of Hazardous Waste. There is so much news on the TV and the Internet about mercury contamination and poisoning that we have to wonder what's happening to the millions of fluorescent and HID lamps that just get tossed into the dumpster everyday. Lamps disposed of in this manner are taken to landfills or resource recovery plants where they are incinerated dumping thousands of pounds of mercury into our environment every year. It's free to do this but at what overall cost? Landfilling and incineration of mercury containing lamps are the second largest source of mercury contamination in the United States and the easiest to eliminate through proper recycling. 650 million lamps are used in the United States each year and improper disposal results in excess of 28,000 pounds of mercury entering into our environment. Into our rivers and streams, our lakes and reservoirs, and into our drinking water.... At first recycling may seem costly but the issue goes far beyond cost. When the consumer pays for recycling he/she is not paying to recover mercury as a commodity but rather to keep the mercury out of our fragile ecosystems. It cannot be judged how much that is really worth. Improper disposal of mercury containing lamps not only results in us damaging our bodies and the environment but can also result in costly fines and Superfund liabilities. Environmental and health effects of Mercury  Bio-accumulates through the food chain  Elemental mercury can cause tremors, thyroid enlargement, memory loss, sever depression and hallucinations.  Chronic exposure to elemental or methyl mercury can damage the central nervous system and the kidneys.  Methyl mercury is water-soluble and can be transported long distances from the source.  Mercury is not destroyed by combustion or bacterial degradation. What can I do about it? Conservation Lighting, Inc. provides a monthly, quarterly or yearly pick up service. For as little as $49.95 transportation fee and 13 cents per foot for fluorescent tube lamps, Conservation Lighting, Inc., will pickup and track your lamps in accordance with State and Federal regulation until they are finally recycled. In addition to the tracking of your lamps your compliance to the guidelines will be reported to the DEP (Maine) or DES (New Hampshire) For more information please call (800) 696-4709 or order an informational portfolio. For New Hampshire's current guidelines, click here http://www.des.state.nh.us/hw-7.htm TOP