Can you put fluorescent tubes and cfl bulbs in a dumpster?
Direct answer
No. Mercury-containing lamps are universal waste under 40 CFR Part 273. They break in transit and release mercury vapour, so they are handled separately everywhere. This one is federal, so it is the same answer in all fifty states. There is a correct destination for it that is not a landfill.
- General status
- No
- Rule type
- Federal
- Category
- Hazardous and regulated
Where it goes instead
Hardware and home improvement retailers take tubes and CFLs at the service desk. LED bulbs contain no mercury and are not universal waste.
Sources
- Primary source Universal Waste — 40 CFR Part 273 — US Environmental Protection Agency · last reviewed 2026-08-17