Fluorescent Light Globes
Compact fluorescent tubes and globes (CFLs) contain mercury and should be disposed of correctly.
Globes cannot be recycled through the yellow bin system, however by dropping them of at the following collection points they can be recycled through other methods:
Greater Taree Residents
Great Lakes Residents
- Tuncurry Waste Management Centre
- Bulahdelah Resource Recovery and Waste Transfer Station
- Tea Gardens Landfill and Recycling Centre
- Stroud Landfill and Recycling Centre
Gloucester Residents
For more information on any of the drop off points visit our
facilities page.
Community Recycling Trailer
Our Community Recycling trailer is touring regional areas in 2018 - dates and venues are listed
here
Cleaning up broken CFL light bulbs containing mercury
The short-term nature of the potential exposure to mercury (particularly after effective clean-up of broken CFL material) does not constitute a significant health risk to exposed adults, pregnant women or children.
By following these instructions for clean-up and disposal as a cautionary approach, it will help to further reduce any risks:
- First, open nearby windows and doors to allow the room to ventilate for 15 minutes before cleaning up the broken light bulb. Turn off air conditioning or heating equipment which could recirculate mercury vapours back into the room.
- Use disposable rubber gloves rather than bare hands.
- Do not use a vacuum cleaner or broom on hard surfaces because this can spread the contents of the light bulb and contaminate the cleaner. Instead, scoop up broken material (e.g. using stiff paper or cardboard) if possible into a glass container which can be sealed with a metal lid.
- Use a disposable brush to carefully sweep up the pieces.
- Wipe up any remaining glass fragments or powders using sticky tape, a damp cloth or damp paper.
- On carpets or fabrics, carefully remove as much glass or powdered material as possible using a scoop and sticky tape. If vacuuming is needed to remove residual material you will need to discard the vacuum bag or thoroughly wipe clean the vacuum cleaner canister afterwards.
- Finally, dispose of any clean-up equipment such as gloves, brush, damp paper and sealed containers containing pieces of broken light bulb in your outside rubbish bin—never in your recycling bin.
While not all of the recommended clean-up and disposal equipment described above may be available (particularly a suitably sealed glass container) it is important to remember to remove broken CFL and clean-up materials to an outside rubbish bin (preferably sealed) as soon as possible. This will reduce the potential contamination indoors.
Some polystyrene materials such as foam cups, trays or foam packaging are marked with the below symbol. This symbol is part of the Plastic Identification Code and simply identifies the type of plastic the product is - not if it can be recycled. People often confuse the 'plastic identification code' for the general recycling symbol (mobius loop), which involves three chasing arrows.
Great Lakes Council has recently acquired an EPS recycling machine that is designed for recycling commercial quantities of polystyrene products at the Residents in the Great Lakes Area who have larger amounts of polystyrene can drop them off for free at the Tuncurry Waste Management Centre.
