Because CFLs contain very small amounts of mercury, burned-out CFLs must be recycled and removed from the normal waste stream. Mercury is a health hazard and a Washington state rule prohibits mercury-containing items from being disposed of with household garbage (RCW 70.275). Mercury-containing lights can be recycled free-of-charge at a number of sites. The state Department of Ecology maintains a database of recycling sites (click here). For your search, select "Drop off," then "Residential," then "Snohomish," then "household hazardous waste," and then "fluorescent lights" to find recycling sites in the area.

For a current list of recycle sites, click here.

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