Using compact florescent lamps (CFLs) throughout your home is a great way to save energy. Not only do CFLs use a fraction of the power consumed by an incandescent bulb, they last longer and produce just as much light as the lamps we’ve become accustomed to.

However, there’s a tradeoff for all of these endearing qualities. CFLs contain a trace amount of mercury (5 milligrams). It would take 100 CFLs to equal the amount of mercury held by one thermometer. Fortunately, no mercury is released when the bulbs are intact or in use. Still, manufacturers are working to reduce the amount of mercury in each lamp.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recommends recycling CFLs if there is a suitable facility in your area. Otherwise, residential consumers are encouraged to seal the CLF in a plastic bag prior to placing it in the outdoor trash.

And what if a CFL breaks? Hiring a professional cleaning crew is overkill as the broken glass poses more of a danger to your health than the released mercury. However, cleaning a broken CFL does require a little more effort on your part. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the following clean up and disposal guidelines:

1. Open a window, leave the room and restrict access to it for at least 15 minutes.

2. Remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner. Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available (do not use your bare hands). Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard. Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.

3. Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag, seal it, and put into the outside trash (if no other disposal or recycling options are available). Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.

4. The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once you’re done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in a sealed plastic bag in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

LEARN HOW TO SAVE WITH CFLS

To use the Light Bulb Calculator, plug in the number of incandescent bulbs to be replaced, and press "Submit". The next screen will calculate the saving.