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NewsvineAfter a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL) shatters on the floor, some students may choose to clean up the shards and throw them in the trash. But according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California law, all fluorescent lamps and tubes are considered hazardous waste when discarded because they contain mercury.
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For the first time this year, Student Housing, in conjunction with Residential Education and Students for a Sustainable Stanford, distributed over 7,000 CFLs to Stanford students and affiliates in an effort to promote energy conservation. Each CFL bulb given to students contains about five milligrams of mercury.
Student Housing has taken certain measures to educate dorm staff in order to comply with California state law and promote safe disposal of CFLs.
“We have given all dorm housing front desks cleaning instructions and Ziploc bags in case of broken CFL bulbs,” said Sustainability and Utilities Coordinator of Student Housing Nik Kaestner. “Also, we will be running more ads in The Daily later as an ongoing effort to remind people of safe disposal.”
The Green Living Council, the branch of Students for a Sustainable Stanford that coordinated the distribution of CFLs, also distributed flyers to all of its Green Campus Representatives containing information about the safe disposal of broken CFLs.
Yost House Representative Rachel Friedman ‘08 said that she passed this critical information on to students.
“I tried to warn every person whom I gave a bulb to about the mercury disposal procedure,” she said.
In the cases of dorms without Green Campus Representatives, the Resident Assistants (RAs) passed out and recorded the number of students who received CFLs.
“The RAs should have the right information as well,” said Kevan Christensen ‘10, the director of the Green Living Council. “It doesn’t require a professional to get rid of the mercury. If students are uncertain how to handle the broken bulb, they should contact the dorm housing front desk.”
So what should you do if you break a CFL bulb in your room?
According to the EPA’s Energy Star, one should ventilate the room for 15 minutes or more, use gloves to carefully scoop up the fragments with stiff paper, place them in a sealed plastic bag and give the bag to the housing front desk. Avoid vacuuming if possible, but if vacuuming is necessary, then remove the vacuum bag after the fact and place the debris in a sealed plastic bag as well.