So, what do you do? <Tree-hugging thread alert>

Only if you break them and then decide to eat the broken glass or rub it all over your body.

lol mercury poison lol

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by Sassafrass

So I started buying these 7 year Energy Star lightbulbs too. Not the compact fluorescence twirly ones, but these:


Is there mercury in those too. Ugh.

But you know, we have thermometers in the house that have mercury in them (yes, we never buy new ones), and we stick that shit in our mouths. A light bulb doesn't seem to be TOO harmful, I guess.

Apart from that, I use shit over and over and over again. Water bottles, for example. When I could be using and ditching 7 bottles a week at the office (to refill), I use one bottle per week and just keep refilling it.

I also use plates instead of this paper shit. I mean, I don't know if that is CURRENTLY the good thing to do? But it makes more sense to me - wash, don't toss.

There's a small amount of mercury vapor in all fluorescents. That's how they work. Without it they wouldn't light. The electricity excites the mercury in other gases which creates light. Which in turn causes the phosphor coating on the tube to emit visible light.. etc etc..

From the big long ones to the small tiny compact ones, they all use it and always have. Fearing the mercury inside them is a bit silly. Especially when it's just a tiny drop of it.

EDIT: It also isn't hard to clean up a broken one either. Instead of a vacuum you just use a wet towel. Sweep up any glass or white powder and wipe up any remaining powder/glass with a wet towel. That's it. Yes, the mercury is toxic. But unless you go out of your way to somehow expose yourself to lots of it nothing is going to happen.

There's nowhere I can't reach.