How to recycle / dispose light bulbs and tubes

We accept CFLs, tubes, and ballasts from your home at no additional charge at our Household Hazardous Waste dropoff at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station.

Live in a municipality? Contact your local municipal office for additional information regarding CFLs recycling opportunities in your community.

Montgomery County has compiled this listing through various sources and does not present it as a complete directory of all organizations or companies, nor offer it as an endorsement of any of the organizations.

• Hours of acceptance: vary by location
• Cost: no charge
• Quantity limits
• Household Hazardous Waste Collection: no quantity limit
• Community drop-off locations at retail stores: small quantities only

See Google Map of drop-off locations

If you have CFLs, tubes, or ballasts from your business, please register for and take these items to the Ecowise drop-off program located at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station; the Ecowise fee schedule applies.

• Cost: $1.17 per bulb or 4-foot tube; $2.34 per 8-foot tube
• No quantity limit

CFLs and tubes contain a small amount of mercury. These instructions from the US EPA describe clean-up and disposal guidelines for broken fluorescent light bulbs.

Double-bag the broken CFL or tube in a re-sealable plastic bag and place in your household trash. Do not put CFLs or tubes into your recycling bin.

Dispose of incandescent and halogen light bulbs in your regular trash collection.