When it comes to disposal and/or cleanup of CFL light bulbs, the most important and thorough information comes from the Environmental Protection Agency.
Proper end result disposal is not going out with your regular trash, but rather taken to an approved disposal center. Most Home Depot stores will take them for proper disposal even if your city or county offers the same service.
Here is the EPA information link. You can download it as a PDF to print and/or save for future reference:
By Deeli from Richland, WA
Deeli, I think they are going to have to have more drop off centers than they do now. I have to drive an hour to the closest on to me. That is ridiculous!
I agree that more city, county or store drop off sites should be made available, Elaine, but we can drop them off coincided with shopping trips or scheduled appointments. My nearest drop off center is on the way to my general practitioners office (which is not just down the block) so I simply plan accordingly. We don't have to make a special trip as long as the bulbs are safely contained beforehand.
What is the most ridiculous is the government forcing us to use a mercury contaminated light bulb in the first place :-(
We do need to be more conscious of what we throw away. I hadn't even thought about Christmas lights!