All Industrial Services Inc. of New Jersey| 190 Boundary Rd, Marlboro, NJ 07746
quote@rbaker.com| 732-222-3553|         
 
All Industrial Services Inc. of New Jersey| 190 Boundary Rd, Marlboro, NJ 07746
quote@rbaker.com| 732-222-3553|         
190 Boundary Rd, Marlboro, NJ 07746 732-222-3553
asset recovery, rigging team with sling and interior demolition

Fluorescent Bulb Recycling and Mercury

A fluorescent bulb can contain anywhere from 5 to 50 mg of mercury

Recycling is an important part of any R. Baker & Son demolition, dismantlement, decommissioning, or plant relocation project.  Among the materials that can be recycled are metal, concrete, brick, cardboard, mineral fiber panel, plastic, clean wood, glass, gypsum wallboard, carpet and insulation.  Waste that that may contain hazardous materials cannot be directly recycled and require proper handling and disposal.  Fluorescent bulbs are often carefully packaged and sent to a recycler during demolition projects, but what happens to them once they reach the recycling facility is a mystery to most people.

A fluorescent bulb can contain anywhere from 5 to 50 mg of mercury, which is highly toxic to the nervous system and kidneys.  Each year, an estimated 600 million bulbs go unrecycled and are instead sent to landfills or incinerators, resulting in the release of 30,000 pounds of mercury vapor into the environment. The EPA strongly recommends recycling spent bulbs, and many states have banned them from solid waste landfills. 

Upon arrival at a recycling plant, workers remove fluorescent bulbs from their packaging and feed them into specialized recycling equipment.  The machinery is fully-automated and -contained to prevent the release of hazardous mercury into the air. Mercury-containing phosphor power is separated from glass and metal by-products and collected into containers.  The contaminated powder is then retorted to extract and isolate the mercury.  In the end, all of the remaining materials – glass, metal end caps, powder, and mercury – can be recycled. 

About R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services

R. Baker & Son All Industrial Services, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) in business since 1935, is a premier specialized contractor operating in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, with over one hundred employees and an exemplary safety record (we have been directly involved in nearly a dozen projects achieving OSHA VPP Star status).

R. Baker & Son
1 Globe Court
Redbank, NJ 07701
732-222-3553
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Demolition.Rigging


 

Full News Archive

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

Recent News

demolition workers looking at blueprints
R. Baker & Sons Demo Experience to Find the Best Plan

“Why Didn’t I Think of That?”: Count on R. Baker’s & Son’s Demolition Experience to Find the Best Plan One of the great benefits of hiring experienced contractors...
Construction workers shaking hands on demolition project
Top Rigging & Demo Performance on Front Stage and Backstage

It is critically important to us at R. Baker & Son to understand our customers’ opinions of us and how satisfied they are with our services. If a customer felt there was some aspect of...
Safety is a Mindset at R. Baker & Son 
Safety is a Mindset at R. Baker & Son

Every construction project is different, from site to site, in size and scope, and in the overall approach to safe work practices. Where many projects take safety very seriously, plenty of others are...
Water Treatment Systems
Disassemble and Relocate Water Treatment Systems

When a food manufacturerand longtime R. Baker & Son clientdecided to sell off their existing reverse osmosis and pH waste neutralization systems at their northeastern Pennsylvania manufacturing...
Dust, Noise, and Vibration on Demolition Sites
Planning for Dust, Noise, and Vibration on Demo Projects

Planning for dust, noise, and vibration can be an important part of demolition and dismantling, particularly in and near occupied buildings and in densely-populated areas. R. Baker & Son works...
Machinery moving, assembly project, used conveyor system
Machinery Moving and Assembly Project

A manufacturer was referred to R. Baker & Son for help with a plant expansion project. A used conveyor system was being added to their production line connecting several newly-leased pieces of...
Rigging and Assembling Test Equipment-NJ Processing Facility
Rigging and Assembling Test Equipment-NJ Processing Facility

An R. Baker & Son previous client was rapidly growing and had plans to refine and expand their operation. Their R&D test team had been working with several engineering firms to design and...
Concrete Slab X-Rays Enable Accurate Cutting and Drilling
Concrete Slab X-Rays Enable Accurate Cutting and Drilling

R. Baker & Son was recently involved in a selective demolition project at a four-story, 90,000 sq. ft. R&D lab facility with basement and penthouse where all forty-six laboratories would be...