Hey Mr. Green,

Q: I live 30 miles west of Memphis, Tennessee, and I’m an avid recycler. I read somewhere that we shouldn’t put used lightbulbs in the garbage because they contain mercury. So I have been collecting them for several years but haven’t been able to find a local repository for used bulbs. I called the authorities in Memphis and was told to just throw them away. Is this right, and if not, what should I do with them?

—Martha in Hughes, Arkansas

A: After you read the following, you might change your signature to “Misled by Memphis.” Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) should always be recycled because, as you rightly suspect, they contain mercury—a small amount to be sure, but even a small amount is very toxic. It’s even illegal to throw them away in some states and cities as they are considered hazardous waste. Incandescent bulbs can also be recycled, but they don’t contain mercury, so chucking them is nowhere near as bad as tossing CFLs. 

To find the nearest recycler of almost anything, anywhere in the country, go to the venerable information source earth911.com, and type in your zip code and the name of whatever you want to recycle. As a special Mr. Green benefit, I carried out this search expedition for you and found that the recycler closest to your town that takes both types of bulbs is Batteries Plus, in Southaven, Missouri. Fluorescents are collected only at Lowe’s in Southaven and a Home Depot in Horn Lake, Missouri.

The problem is that these locations are also more than 25 miles away from your town, so it won’t help the environment to make a special trip just to dispose of the bulbs. (You’ll also find these same recyclers in Memphis, if you have any need to go there. For me, a pilgrimage to Elvis’s mansion would be plenty good reason enough for the trek.)

Finally, when replacing your burned-out bulbs, you might consider LEDs. They contain no mercury, are as efficient as fluorescents and last far longer, and their price has been going down.