You've seen them when you're looking for light bulbs -- compact florescent light. They look a little silly and definitely cost a bit more but they are worth the price.
"These compact florescent lamps are much more efficient than the incandescent up to 75 percent more efficient and it lasts up to ten times longer,” said Mark Moroukian with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Initially, CFLs do cost more but when comparing the lifespan of both bulbs. You will have to buy 10 more traditional bulbs to equal one CFL. In the end, if you buy the old fashioned bulb and you will spend $1.90 more per bulb. Not to mention emit 75 percent more CO2 into the environment.
"By using CFLs we reduce energy demand therefore lowering the amounts of green house gases and toxic mercury which are emitted through the environment through the generation of electric power," Moroukian said.
You've seen them when you're looking for light bulbs -- compact florescent light. They look a little silly and definitely cost a bit more but they are worth the price.
Save energy, save money.
If each home owner in the United States would replace one of their incandescent lamps with a CFL, enough energy will be saved in a year to light three million homes and offset the green house gas emissions from approximately 800,000 vehicles.
CLFs do contain trace amounts of mercury, as much as the ink on the tip of a pen. When a bulb burns out, although it's okay to toss them into the trash, it’s suggested that you don’t. Long term, no one knows how it could affect the environment.
"Because they never make it to the landfill, which may be a reasonably safe place for them, if they reach it intact. But there are so many potential avenues for breakage along the way they are fragile and mercury gets released and sanitation workers can get exposed," said Moroukian.
And when you do have to toss out a light bulb, it's recommended to put it in a plastic container that seals to prevent any breakage but if you do happen to break a bulb in your house, experts recommend do not run the vacuum.
"Vacuuming is a no-no because what you are doing is re-entering the mercury into the atmosphere and that is something you want to stay away from," Moroukian said.
There are other tips in case a bulb breaks.
"Isolate the room first, make sure there are no children or pets in the room, and close the room off. Ventilate to the outdoors for at least 15 minutes. If it is on a hard surface, put on a glove, use a wet paper towel or a wipe and sticky tape. Clean up the glass, clean up the powder as much as you can see. Do that a couple of times and place that material in a couple of plastic zip bags,” said Moroukian.
It's best to recycle CLFs and that means bringing the bulbs to collections sites listed on the Web. Go to getenergysmart.org, dec.ny.gov or call your local Home Depot.