December 2024 

Fluorescent tubes and other mercury-containing lamps become hazardous wastes when they no longer work. Non-working tubes must be recycled by an authorized recycling facility—they cannot be discarded with your regular household trash. When discarding your waste lamps, there are several options for getting them to an environmentally-safe and responsible universal waste or household hazardous waste (HHW) facility.

Mercury-containing lamps be managed as universal wastes under chapter 23 of title 22 of the California Code of Regulations. This allows people to handle waste fluorescent tubes and other mercury-containing lamps under a set of more relaxed management standards compared to other types of hazardous waste.

Note Violation of universal waste laws and regulations can result in large fines and criminal prosecution.

What if I accidentally broke a mercury-containing lamp?

Materials you will need for clean-up:

• Dust mask and gloves
• Airtight container (e.g., glass container, resealable bag)
• Stiff paper such as index cards or cardboard
• Duct tape, masking tape, or packing tape
• Damp cloth
• Marker to label the airtight container
• Optional: Commercial mercury spill kit

DO NOT VACUUM. Vacuuming is not recommended unless broken glass remains after all other cleanup steps have been taken since it could spread mercury-containing powder or mercury vapor.

Before cleanup

1. Young children and pregnant women should leave the area during cleanup.
2. Open all doors and windows to ventilate the area for at least 15 minutes.
3. Turn off your AC/fan/heater to prevent circulation of any mercury vapor.
4. Collect all materials needed for the cleanup.

During cleanup

1. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (e.g., dust mask and gloves) to keep bulb dust and glass from being inhaled or contacting your skin.
2. Carefully remove the larger pieces and place them in a secure, airtight container.
3. Begin thoroughly collecting the smaller pieces and dust and put all material into the airtight container.
4. Pat the area with the sticky side of duct, packing, or masking tape to pick up any remaining pieces.
5. Wipe the area with a damp cloth.
6. Put all waste and materials used to clean up the bulb in the airtight container and label it “Universal Waste – broken lamp”. Avoid leaving any bulb fragments or cleanup materials indoors. 

After cleanup

1. Take the container for recycling at the household hazardous waste (HHW) facility nearest you.
2. If practical, continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the heating/air conditioning system shut off for several hours.
3. The next several times you vacuum, shut off the heating/air conditioning system if you have one, close the doors to other rooms, and open a window or door to the outside before vacuuming. Empty the vacuum after each use in this area.

4. If possible after vacuuming, keep the heating/air conditioning system shut off and the window or door to the outside open for several hours.

If the bulb or lamp breaks on carpet

Option 1

The State of Maine’s report suggests removing the area of carpet that has been contaminated as a precaution.

Option 2

If option 1 is not feasible, it is recommended that you ventilate the area for several hours as well as during the process of vacuuming because vacuuming can circulate the vapor. If you vacuum, make sure to dispose of the bag along with the broken CFL at your local HHW facility. You should also ventilate the room during the next few times you vacuum the area.

Additional information

The U.S. EPA provides a detailed clean-up guide for cleaning up broken mercury-containing lamps such as CFLs.

Handling requirements for universal waste handlers of universal waste lamps

Pursuant to California Code of Regulations, title 22, section 66273.33(b), when handling universal waste mercury-containing lamps such as fluorescent bulbs and tubes, the universal waste handler must:

1. Must contain any lamp in a container or package that is:
   • structurally sound
   • adequate to prevent breakage
   • compatible with the contents of the lamp

   The lamp container(s) or package(s) must remain closed with no evidence of leakage, spillage, or damage that could cause leakage under reasonably foreseeable conditions.

2. Must immediately clean up any lamp:
   • that is broken or
   • shows evidence of leakage or damage that could cause the release of mercury or other hazardous contents into the environment

   It should be immediately placed in a container, and this container must be closed, structurally sound, compatible with the contents of the lamps, and lack any evidence of leakage, spillage, or damage that could cause releases of mercury or other hazardous constituents to the environment under reasonably foreseeable conditions.

3. May remove a lamp from a product or structure, provided the universal waste handler removes the lamp in a manner designed to prevent breakage.

For more information about handling universal waste, please refer to DTSC’s Universal Waste and How to Handle It Fact Sheet.

Additional resources

External resources

DTSC has provided the link to the external webpage below which contains information that may be of interest. DTSC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

•  Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers – provides information about recycling lamps and lists the nation’s fluorescent tube recyclers

*Disclaimer

This fact sheet does not replace or supersede relevant statutes and regulations. The information contained in this fact sheet is based upon the statutes and regulations in effect as of the date of the fact sheet. Interested parties should keep apprised of subsequent changes to relevant statutes and regulations.