Waste Management Offers Fluorescent Recycling

One of the largest waste collection and recycling companies operating in the U.S., Waste Management, Inc., has acquired an existing business, LampTracker, which offers a mail-back recycling program for fluorescent lamps. The company sells special containers for collecting and shipping fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent lamps, and other items containing mercury. To protect the lamps from breaking and limit mercury exposure, the packaging consists of a small box wrapped with a mercury vapor barrier inside a larger box. When the box is full, the client ships it to LampTracker, which recycles the lamps; the cost of the packaging materials includes shipping and recycling fees. Federal and state laws require businesses to properly dispose of any equipment containing mercury; although such disposal can occur in a hazardous waste landfill, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency strongly encourages recycling fluorescent lamps. More information is available at www.wmlamptracker.com.