| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| tahir |
Disposing of light bulbsIs there a decent way of disposing of light bulbs or do they just end up in the rubbish, and are the new low energy ones with their many materials, including plastics any worse in this regard? |
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| cab |
Fluorescent tubes are the worst. Low energy domesic light bulbs next. Old fashioned ones last. Ironic, isn't it?
I don't know of any local authorities who collect them, nor are these people: http://www.reuze.co.uk/3rdparty/AForceToBeReckonedWith.pdf But some big companies are quite good at this, the mercury in spent fluirescent tubes is something that those organisations who are closely monitored by the environment agency have to be aware of. Recycling such things at home is hard; badger your local authority to get some kind of recycling point, then get them to contact those guys in the PDF file or a company called Manchester Waste. |
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| oddballdave |
Re: Disposing of light bulbs
Telford and Wrekin unitary authority and Shropshire County Council have special bins in the household recycling centres just for light bulbs. Keeps them out of the landfill. Dave PS we also have special bins now for Tyres,TV/Monitors, Lead Acid Batteries, Rechargeable Batteries and Gel Batteries. |
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| tahir |
We just have glass, textiles, card, metal | ||||
| dpack |
we have a bottle bank 200 metres away , i compost but everything else goes down the chute and of to the local incinerator .
single housholds have green recycling bins but only for certain items (not glass )but blocks do not . the problem with items made of varied materials is in the cost of seperating them compared to the cost of producing those materials from a primary source . some people measure cost in dollars ,it is possible to define cost as degradation of environment . there is also the problem of waste being exported ,processed with no regard to h and s or the environmental legacy as in electronic goods broken up in third world backstreets or ships cut up on indian beaches by barefoot kids .that just transports the worst aspects of the 18 th c industrial revolution to a new place in a new centuary . perhaps trying to use objects which have a very long lifespan and/or can be mended is a way to reduce the things that require recycling . |
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| Bernie66 |
Re: Disposing of light bulbs
We have prettty much the same on the wirral, not that most of them get used enough, the problem is laziness, having to drive to the recycling centre etc. |