S.L. County library patrons urged to recycle lightbulbs

Salt Lake County residents can now check out a book and recycle old lightbulbs all at the same location.

Mayor Peter Corroon on Thursday unveiled a new recycling program, where residents can drop off compact florescent lightbulbs at the front desk of eight county libraries, and the health department will recycle the bulbs through the county's Household Hazardous Waste Program. Compact fluorescent lightbulbs contain small amounts of mercury.

"Our concern is that we keep the mercury out of our air and water," said Royal Delegge, director of the Salt Lake Valley Health Department's Division of Environmental Health.

The bulbs can be tossed in the trash, but Delegge said if every resident did that, the mercury buildup at the landfill could cause problems in the future.

So instead of just tossing the bulbs out, county officials want residents to recycle. All you have to do is go to one of eight county libraries, walk up to the information desk and hand over the bulb. The library employee will then place the bulb in a bag made of bubble wrap and slide it into a plastic bin.

The county health department will then regularly pick up the bulbs and transport them to the landfill, where they will be recycled as part of the county's Household Hazardous Waste Program.

So why all the hassle? The bulbs save energy and money.

Corroon said lighting is responsible for 20 percent of the average home's electric bill. He said a 22-watt compact fluorescent bulb produces about the same amount of light as a 100 watt incandescent bulb, but only uses a third as much energy and lasts about 10 times longer.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency said if every American home replaced one incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, it would conserve enough energy to light three million homes a year.

"Switching from traditional light bulbs to (compact fluorescent lightbulbs) is an effective, accessible change every resident can make right now to reduce energy use at home and prevent greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global climate change," Corroon said.

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