The website includes information about federal and state regulatory spent lamp management requirements and state regulatory contacts, lists companies that handle and recycle spent lamps, and describes the environmental benefits of mercury containing lamps and what the lamp industry has done to reduce its use of mercury contained in these lamps.
Fluorescent lamps reduce energy consumption, saving users money.
Reducing energy use also cuts down on power plant emissions of mercury and other emissions that contribute to global climate change, acid rain, and smog. Mercury is an essential ingredient in all fluorescent and most high intensity discharge lamps. In fluorescent lamps, without mercury vapor to produce ultraviolet energy, there would be no light. Mercury is a naturally occurring element that is persistent in the environment. Under federal hazardous waste laws, lamp users are responsible for complying with disposal standards.