Thank you from My Eco Lamp, Lamp Recycling Solutions

My Eco Lamp wishes you and your family a Merry Christmas. From everyone at My Eco Lamp, thank you for a great 2009.

http://www.myecolamp.com

CFL and Lamps Containing Mercury, North Carolina

Did you know that in North Carolina there are approximately 15 million lamps ready for discard every year that contain mercury? Did you know that amounts to 231.5 pounds of Mercury and 105 million Milligrams of Mercury. (From Report on the Generation and Potential Recycling of Fluorescent Lights put out by NC DENR).

Compact fluorescent lights are a great tool when handled properly. Not only do the last up to 10 times longer compared to incandescent lights, they save a great deal of energy as well which has a great benefit locally on its impact from power plants, disposal of waste, etc...
Not only do CFLs contain small amounts of mercury, but other fluorescent lamps and some high intensity discharge (HID) lamps contain the heavy metal as well. Recycling a mercury-containing lamp ensures that 99.98 percent of the mercury used in the lamp is recovered, according to Lamprecycle.org (Earth911.com features a great article on how manufactures are taking steps to insure recycling and lower Mercury content.

To find out more about lamp recycling in Raleigh, North Carolina, visit My Eco Lamp If you are interested in starting a "Planting Seeds of Hope" community recycling program in your town please contact My Eco Lamp today. Together we can help change tomorrow by creating a safer place today.

Thank you

This Thanksgiving we would like to thank you for your commitment to helping others and making tomorrow a safer place today. We thank you for the opportunity to be of service and thank you for all the businesses and people who have been so encouraging and helpful to us over this year. Thank you and we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you,
My Eco Lamp
Lamp Recycling Solutions
www.myecolamp.com

Practically Speaking It is Illegal

Did You Know...

Many states require lamp recycling and proper disposal of ballasts, batteries, and electronic waste by law. In North Carolina, businesses who discard lamps have to show that each lamp is TCLP compliant and can not take manufacture's claims. This test alone can cost over $1,000 making throwing lamps away "Practically Speaking Illegal". Even green end cap lamps have mercury. In some cases, due to the green end cap lamps, people have become unaware and misinformed about the proper disposal of fluorescent lamps. Even green end cap lamps need to be recycled.

When a lamp is broken, disposed in a landfill, or incinerated, the mercury can travel over 200 miles and can contaminate air, surface water, and groundwater.

Prolonged exposure to high level of metallic, inorganic, or organic mercury can permanently damage the brain, kidneys and developing fetus.

To find out more about recycling of fluorescent, HID, CFL and other lamps in North Carolina, visit www.myecolamp.com

CFLs and Lamp Recycling

I came across an article recently entitled CFL's It Takes a Team to Market a Lightbulb. I wanted to highlight an area that is close to our thoughts locally when it comes to recycling in our community in North Carolina. For more on this article visit below for a link to the full article.

"Even though CFLs represent a huge step forward in energy efficiency, all compact fluorescent bulbs including the Marathon bulb, contain a tiny, yet highly toxic amount of mercury. Mercury can cause mental instability, a change in personality, and damage to the liver and kidneys. Once in landfills, it can contaminate underground water supplies. Indeed, many states prohibit the disposal of CFLs in regular trash". We agree that CFLs are a great tool when it comes to addressing the issue of energy efficiency and believe that with the proper handling, they will help save resources and energy. Please Recycle Fluorescent Lamps at end of life and help keep our water streams clean.

To find out how you can recycle fluorescent lamps and other mercury containing lamps, visit My Eco Lamp or www.LampRecycle.org for areas outside of North Carolina.

For more on the article above, visit here

CFL Bulb Disposal: Handle With Care-EchoHome Featured Article

Recently we came across an interesting and informative article about the proper handling and disposal of CFL fluorescent lamps. With the increasing popularity of compact fluorescent lamps, there is also an increasing amount of hazardous (mercury containing) lamps ending up in our landfills. To find out more about recycling of fluorescent lamps visit here

Jennifer Goodman with EchoHome has a great article on CFL Bulb Disposal: Handle With Care Mercury-containing bulbs necessitate recycling, not trashing. Below is part of the article. To read the complete article, visit their site here

As homeowners embrace more efficient lighting technologies, remodelers, electricians, and other contractors should think twice before tossing light bulbs and lighting fixtures in the trash.

Growing in popularity due to their long life and low energy usage, compact fluorescent (CFL) and other energy-efficient light bulbs such as linear fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps contain a very small amount of mercury, a poisonous substance. Ten states and multiple local jurisdictions prohibit the disposal of mercury-containing products--including CFLs and other mercury-containing bulbs--in solid waste. (For state-by-state regulations click here.)

Just as pros learned to safely dispose of old mercury thermostats, they will need to devise a plan for the way they dispose of remodeling waste containing these new types of bulbs, says Mark Kohorst, senior manager for environment, health, and safety for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA).

“For example, in the past a contractor doing a kitchen remodeling project would gut the kitchen and didn’t worry about the old fixtures and bulbs—for the most part 25-cent incandescents—that were going in the trash,” says Kohorst. “As the marketplace changes, some of this lighting could now include CFLs, which need to be treated as special waste.”

But even with the threat of fines and penalties, the residential building industry has been slow to embrace CFL recycling, says Mark Tibbetts, director of NEMA’s recycling initiative.

“Recyclers find contractors to be a very tough market to crack, partly because there hasn’t been a real threat of enforcement,” Tibbetts says. “But as a contractor, you are liable if these lamps are part of your demolition.”

In coming years, pros are sure to find more of these types of bulbs in the houses they remodel, Tibbetts adds. CFL use is expected to grow in part because traditional incandescent bulbs will be phased out by 2014 under the federal Clean Energy Act. In many areas, energy companies already are offering incentives such as mail-in rebates to incite homeowners to switch to CFLs.

October is Energy Awareness Month

Did you know that October is Energy Awareness Month? My Eco Lamp is excited to be an Energy Star Partner and would like to thank all of you have taken the pledge to save energy while saving green. To find out more about Energy Star and energy efficiency, you can visit http://www.myecolamp.com or go directly to here

To Saving Energy!

When using energy efficient lamps, please remember to recycle CFL, Linear Fluorescent, HID and other mercury containing lamps. For more information on lamp recycling visit MyEcoLamp.com

Compact Fluorescent Lamps and Recycling

Recently we have noticed that many folks still are not sure what to do with the "ice cream shaped" light called a compact fluorescent lamp when it comes to disposing of them? Do they contain mercury? If so, what would be the proper way to recycle a fluorescent lamp containing mercury? To answer this question Earth 911 has a great site and we thought we would share with you a section of their site where they talk about "Tips on Recycling a CFL" To find out more about Earth911.com visit the link below the feature for more information and a direct link to this content.

"Tips on Recycling a CFL

With compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), mercury content needs to be taken into consideration before disposal. Mercury is an extremely hazardous waste and is a major health concern when it comes in contact with humans and animals. In humans, mercury can cause brain and kidney damage. While many companies hope to have non-mercury CFLs in the near future, right now, such lamps are not currently available.

When you are ready to recycle your used lamps:

* Be sure to carefully package them to ensure that they do not break in transport. This could release dangerous toxins.
* An easy way to prepare used lamps for recycling is to box them up in the packaging from your new lamps.
* Store your old lamps until you can locate an appropriate place to recycle them." To find out more about Earth 911 and this article visit here

DOE and Retrofit Ramp-Ups

Below is a great opportunity coming for the commercial lighting industry. With the DOE getting ready to fund what they call the "Retrofit Ramp-Ups" there will be a likely influx of fluorescent, HID, and other mercury containing lamps headed for disposal in our landfills. Join My Eco Lamp on its goal to help change tomorrow by "Planting Seeds of Hope" today with our lamp recycling service and solutions program. To find out more about the DOE program, read below and visit here This is a great opportunity to not only save energy but to make a difference on the impact for tomorrow's generation.

DOE to Fund up to $454 Million for Retrofit Ramp-Ups in Energy Efficiency
Projects Seek to Make Efficiency Accessible to Every Business and Homeowner

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced a new $450 million program designed to catalyze a nationwide energy upgrade that experts estimate could save $100 million annually in utility bills for households and businesses. The Recovery Act’s “Retrofit Ramp-Up” program will pioneer innovative models for rolling out energy efficiency to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in a variety of communities. Much like past roll-outs for cable TV or the Internet, DOE intends to create models that, when undertaken nationally, will save consumers billions of dollars on their utility bills and make the huge savings of energy efficiency available to everyone.

“Energy efficiency isn’t just low-hanging fruit; it’s fruit lying on the ground. We have the tools to reduce energy use at home and at work and to provide huge savings to families and businesses on their energy bills. But use of these technologies has been far too limited because we lack the simple and effective ways for people to access them,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

“The ‘Retrofit Ramp-Up’ program will support large-scale models that can open new energy efficiency opportunities to whole neighborhoods, towns, and, eventually, entire states,” continued Secretary Chu. “The Recovery Act will allow innovative communities to demonstrate a variety of sustainable business models that can be replicated across the country.”

The Request for Information (RFI) being issued today is for competitively-selected local energy efficiency projects. This competitive portion of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program will target community-scale retrofit projects that make significant, long-term impacts on energy use and can serve as national role models for grassroots energy efficiency efforts. DOE is seeking public comment on this newly funded program under the Recovery Act. Public comment ends on September 28, 2009.

Environmental Stewardship and Going Green

Recently I attended a great seminar on Environmental Stewardship. The webinar was put on by North Carolina DENR. I think this is a great way for businesses looking to take steps on what impact they have locally. If you would like to find out more how your business can get involved click here to vist the Environmental Stewardship Initiative program.

If you are a business looking to save energy costs, My Eco Lamp is pleased to announce that they have become a full line commercial lighting distributor of energy efficient lights, ballast, fixtures and LED's. In addition to commercial lighting, My Eco Lamp offers a turn key solution for energy rebates, recycling and replacement lamps. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina and serving from Greensboro to the Coast. Visit online at www.myecolamp.com

Fluorescent, HID, Mercury Containing Lamps Recycling Solutions

The North Carolina Environmental Stewardship Initiative is conducting a free webinar entitled "Introduction to the North Carolina Environmental Stewardship Initiative" on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 9 a.m. To find out more, visit here

Have you ever wondered about what happens to those lamps above your office when they are changed? Did you know that fluorescent, HID, and cfl's contain mercury and should be recycled in North Carolina? For more information on how you can create a cleaner North Carolina and help prevent fluorescent lamps containing mercury from the waste stream. Yes even green end cap fluorescent lamps have mercury in them. Visit online at www.myecolamp.com

Go Green, Save Green

Have you ever wondered what all this buzz is about going green? Maybe you are even a little tired of hearing about green. At My Eco Lamp, we want to shed some light on what going green means to us and some simple ways to look at being stewards of the resources we have. Personally, I like saving money (green) and with a growing family we are always looking for ways to help save. One way we do this is by using energy saving lamps or compact fluorescent lights. With going green also comes responsibility, in our case when switching to energy efficient lighting we now have to be stewards of the light at end of life due to mercury in the lamps. To find out more about this read some of our other posts and online at our site My Eco Lamp

Going green also has taken on new meaning with our energy bill. Instead of having the AC set to 75 in the summer we now have it set at 80 to 82. This has been a huge savings to us as well. There are many additional ways to go green and save green. We would like to hear what you are doing to go green. Email us today or comment on our post. We would love to hear from you.

Are Mercury Containing Lamps an issue in North Carolina?

Recently, North Carolina has made the news on a national level. In this case, however it is not on a positive note. Mercury levels in fish and water streams in NC are at unsafe levels. Today we would like to ask, "Do you think North Carolina Businesses should recycle their fluorescent lamps, HID lamps, and other mercury containing lamps?". NC DENR has put out a report entitled "Report on the Generation and Potential Recycling of Fluorescent Lights". In this report there is a section which address the total amount of mercury ready for discard in North Carolina in what they refer to as Lamps Containing Mercury or "LCM's". In Table 2 they have estimate of Mercury Content of LCM's in Use and Sold in North Carolina or fluorescent lamps to be specific.

Table 2: There are an estimated 15 million lamps ready for discard annually in NC, 11 Million from commercial "non-household". There are estimated to be 120 million mercury containing lamps in use in North Carolina. Think about this, based on their estimates that would equal 105,000,000 milligrams of mercury ready to be discarded in North Carolina. We want to hear from you. Are you currently recycling fluorescent lamps? Does your business or organization have a plan in place for recycling of mercury containing lamps? To find out more about recycling of lamps visit www.myecolamp.com

Keywords: Mercury Containing Lamps, Recycling Fluorescent Lamps, Ballast. HID Recycling. North Carolina, Raleigh.

Flourescent Recycling Solutions for Small to Medium Size Businesses in North Carolina

Have you ever wondered what to do with a linear fluorescent light after changing it out? Or maybe you recently came across some old HID lamps that have not yet been thrown away? Did you know that in North Carolina and many other states that fluorescent lamps and other mercury containing lamps are banned from being disposed in the trash for "Non-Household" use. Whether you are a small business or a large business you may want to find out more about what to do with these lamps at end of life. My Eco Lamp, located in Raleigh, North Carolina has created a local service that helps keep down the cost of recycling for small to medium size businesses looking to recycle fluorescent lamps, HID lamps, other mercury containing lamps, ballast, batteries and other items. Providing local service is one way in which they hope to make a difference in the local community. "Helping keep 100 lamps or 1,000 lamps containing mercury adds up" says service specialist Harry. He goes on to say that even the lowest level fluorescent lamp still contains over a mg of mercury and it takes just 1mg to spoil a body of water. Being passionate about lighting in general has also helped My Eco Lamp with getting the word out about the benefits of recycling. One of the founders has a background in commercial lighting and enjoys helping answer questions about lighting and recycling. To find out more about fluorescent lamp recycling or just to say hi, visit href="http://www.myecolamp.com">My Eco Lamp online.



Even green lights should be recycled: My Eco Lamp is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and services from Greensboro to Wilmington. Whether your business has 1 lamp or a 1,000 lamps they have a service to fit your needs.

My Eco Lamp Is Pleased To Offer a Full Line of Commercial Lighting Supply

My Eco Lamp, LLC is excited about the opportunity to help local businesses, churches, towns and communities in the Raleigh, North Carolina with a full line of commercial lighting. My Eco Lamp started out as a lamp recycling service provider offering affordable solutions for lamp recycling for businesses seeking an affordable and local solution for their recycling needs. Now with the introduction of a full line of lamps, ballast, fixtures My Eco Lamp is able to help better serve the needs of the local area.

If you are looking for 1 lamp or a 1,000 My Eco Lamp Supply is a new twist on the "old" school of lighting distributors. My Eco Lamp seeks to bring the "Next Generation of Lighting" to the industry. One way in which they are able to do this is by offering free energy audits and analysis of current lighting conditions along with offering assistance to sort through various EPACT rebates and local rebates by Progress Energy and Duke Energy. My Eco Lamp is a Trade Ally working locally with customers as well as throughout the state.

To find out more about My Eco Lamp and the "Next Generation of Lighting" visit them online at http://www.myecolamp.com

The Next Generation of Lighting

Have you ever wondered what is in store for tomorrow's lighting? Maybe you have asked why are manufactures still using "Old Technology" and still manufacturing T-12 fluorescent lamps? You are not alone. Recently, My Eco Lamp fluorescent lamp recycling services has been presented an opportunity to offer a line of eco-friendly commercial and residential lighting line. We are very excited about the opportunity to help change the way the world looks at lighting and to look forward to "The Next Generation of Lighting" solutions. Some of the products and services we will be offering are energy audits for commercial buildings, opportunities to take advantage of Progress Energy's business rebate program. LED lighting options, Cold Cathodes and more energy efficient lighting in general and of course lamp recycling services locally. If you know of someone who is looking for an affordable solution to their recycling of fluorescent lamps or replacement lighting, please feel free to call or email us today. You can also visit us online at My Eco Lamp recycling 24 hours a day. We look forward to being of service and thank you for the opportunity to change the future of lighting.

Why Recycle Fluorescent Lamps?

With the ever increasing popularity of the CFL-Compact Fluorescent Lamp (Or as some would say, the "Ice Cream" shaped lamp), comes the added responsibility of knowing what to do with them when they are at the end of life? There have been some great features on CFL's and the benefits of them. From saving energy, to lowering the impact of carbon footprints and green house gases.

We will not be discussing this today but instead would like to ask the question, "Why recycle fluorescent lamps"? All high energy efficient lamps contain mercury for the operation of the lamps. My Eco Lamp

Earth911 has summarized it this way on it's site under the topic of Facts About Light Bulbs We especially like the area that asks "What’s the Deal With Mercury?

Some lamps include mercury and are regulated by local governments as it relates to proper disposal. Throwing your burnt-out lamps in the trash is not only dangerous, but illegal. In such states as California, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and many more, it is unlawful for anyone to dispose of fluorescent lamps as universal waste. If you’re looking for somewhere to drop your spent CFL, you can recycle CFLs using Earth911.

* Every year, about 600 million fluorescent light bulbs are disposed of in U.S. landfills.
* This amounts to about 30,000 pounds of mercury waste.
* These bulbs can break and the vapors can harm not only workers, but also the environment through seeping into groundwater.
* In 1992, mercury containing bulbs were added to the U.S. EPA’s list of hazardous substances. Five years later, they moved to number three on that list.


To find out more about the topic of lamp recycling or to start a program at your home or business, visit My Eco Lamp online. We offer affordable solutions for lamp recycling. In addition, we would love to hear from you. If you have a question about recycling or just curious about something, drop us a line.

My Eco Lamp-Lamp Recycling Solutions

Welcome to our blog on lamp recycling. We are delighted you have stopped by. Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking for ways to help with getting the word out about the benefits of recycling mercury containing lamps and also the dangers that we are facing in regards to lamps being discarded in landfills.

Is green good? "Green" end caps is great marketing. Over the last few years, I have been hearing this comment a little more often when it comes to lamps with green end caps, "Well, we purchase lamps that have green end caps and these do not have mercury in them and I can throw them away". This is one of the bigger challenges facing many towns and communities as many are unaware that these lamps do contain mercury. In fact, as of today on a 4 foot linear T-8 fluorescent lamp that has green end caps, there is actually about 1.7 milligrams of mercury. Some of the other green end cap lamps have much more mercury content.

Some facts about Mercury containing lamps (more to come in proceeding posts):
It takes just 1 milligram of mercury to contaminate up to 5,300 liters of water.

If a person were to throw away just 10 of the green end cap lamps using the above amount, that would be 17 milligrams. 100 would be 170 milligrams and 1,000 would be 1,700 milligrams.

To find out more about lamp recycling visit My Eco Lamp

My Eco Lamp is looking for help with spreading the word about our community program "Planting Seeds of Hope". If you would like to find out more, please drop us a line. We would love to hear from you.