It is possible to keep mercury out of the air by sending intact lamps to a reputable lamp recycling company, where it is estimated that only 0.2% to 0.4% of the mercury is emitted to the atmosphere.
Mercury containing lamps are now quite inexpensive to recycle. However, the process still costs more than the recycled content is worth, so users must pay a small fee to have them recycled.
How small? Over the life cycle of a fluorescent lamp, the cost to recycle today is less than 1% of the cost of ownership, as the bulk of ownership dollars are spent to cover energy costs.
The estimated breakdown of costs is as follows:
- Cost of materials: 3%;
- Cost of installation and maintenance: 10%;
- Cost of energy consumption: 86%; and
- Cost of recycling: 1%.
Even with these statistics, businesses are hesitant to incur extra costs. This is the greatest barrier to recycling.
However, states that have passed landfill bans for mercury containing products issue varying levels of penalties for infringement of these regulations. Recycling—and obtaining a certificate of recycling from the recycler—is a guaranteed way to avoid fines and enforcement actions which can easily exceed the cost of lamp recycling.