FluoroCycle

Have you ever wondered what happened to the mercury that lives inside your fluorescent lamp at the end of its life?  If you are like the vast majority of people it ends up in a landfill site (a nice way of saying rubbish dump).

Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can affect the brain, liver and kidneys, and cause developmental disorders in children. Young children and developing fetuses are especially at risk.  Mercury is found in a variety of products, such as fluorescent and other lights, batteries, electrical switches and relays, barometers, and thermometers. The mercury contained in these products can evaporate into the air or leach into the groundwater from the landfills.

Thankfully, at last someone is doing something about it.  The Lighting Council of Australia is administering a scheme called FluoroCycle where lamps containing mercury can be recycled.  For more information on everything you ever wanted to know about recycling fluorescent lamps check out the fact sheet.