The new CFL bulb, how to recycle, what to do if it breaks

New CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs definitely save energy. But if and when the bulb does burn out, don't just throw it away. "No, you shouldn't throw them in the trash because they do contain mercury," says Stephen Albright from Home Depot in Savannah.

Home Depot is the only place we could find in the area that recycles the bulbs. Even the city of Savannah doesn't have a program yet.

Albright shows me a container in the front of the store. "If you just bring the bulb in, that would be fine because we put it in the plastic bags that we have up there," he tells me.

Last June, Home Depot launched a nationwide program to recycle the bulbs. You can take any expired bulb to any store. Home Depot says the bulbs are recycled by an environmental management company. The company also says that than 75 percent of households in the U.S. are located within 10 miles of one a Home Depot store, which "makes their program the first national solution to providing Americans with a convenient way to recycle CFLs."

Albright says the bulbs contain just a small amount of mercury. And most people probably won't have any problems, however, if you happen to break a bulb, there's actually a clean up procedure that's up to seven steps in length. It includes airing out your home, putting on gloves, picking up the broken pieces and then putting the fragments into a sealed plastic bag.

When you buy the bulbs it's probably a good idea to keep the package. That's because there's an 800 number and a website on the back of the packaging. Calling the number or going to the website will give you details on clean up should you break a bulb.

I tell Albright all this seems a little scary to me. He responds that there is not that much mercury in the bulbs, but acknowledges that store employees have a similar process should a bulb be broken in one of their stores.

Still, Albright is a fan of the new bulbs. He tells me when he moved into his home in 2007, he bought all CFL bulbs. "So far, I've only replaced one," he says.

I checked the price and found that a four pack of CFLs at Home Depot costs $5.85 versus 87 cents for four old fashioned light bulbs.

But Albright believes the cost is worth it. "We're saving a lot of energy, which is saving the earth," he tells me. "This cuts down on the CO gases. The bulbs do have mercury, true, but in other ways, they help to save the planet."

If you break a bulb and don't have the package, here is some information I found on the website www.Energystar.gov

1.Open a window and leave the room for 15 minutes or more.

2. Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a sealed plastic bag. Use disposable rubber gloves, if available (i.e., do not use bare hands). Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes and place them in the plastic bag. Do not use a vacuum or broom to clean up the broken bulb on hard surfaces.

3. Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag. Place the first bag in a second sealed plastic bag and put it in the outdoor trash container or in another outdoor protected area for the next normal trash disposal. Note: some states prohibit such trash disposal and require that broken and unbroken lamps be taken to a local recycling center. Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.

4. If a fluorescent bulb breaks on a rug or carpet: First, remove all materials you can without using a vacuum cleaner, following the steps above. Sticky tape (such as duct tape) can be used to pick up small pieces and powder. If vacuuming is needed after all visible materials are removed, vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag or vacuum debris in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.