Ready to See the Light?: Though Compact Fluorescent Bulbs Last Longer and Save Energy, There is a Catch: Disposing of Them May Prove Tricky.

May 13--After years of not quite catching on, the compact fluorescent light bulb may be ready to shine.

Major retailers, Internet giants and Hollywood stars are spreading their environmentally friendly message. California and at least three other states are seeking to ban the old-fashioned incandescent bulb, and Australia, Ontario and the European Union already are moving to phase them out.

The argument for compact fluorescent lights, or CFLs, is simple: Changing a bulb can save a little money, put a dent in the demand for electricity and contribute in a small way to the fight against global warming.

But daunting questions remain about how ready the United States is for a CFL revolution.

Despite the environmental advantages, retailers and government officials haven't figured out an effective way to collect used fluorescents, though Chicago and some other cities will take the bulbs as household hazardous waste. Each compact fluorescent contains small amounts of mercury, a toxic metal that can damage the nervous system, heightening concerns about proper disposal.

More broadly, it remains unclear whether Americans and legislators can be persuaded to abandon Thomas Edison's incandescent bulb and switch to squiggly compact fluorescent lamps. Retailers attribute their still-dismal sales to memories of the high prices, harsh light and annoying hum of earlier versions, problems manufacturers say are mostly fixed.

Unlikely allies

To change consumer attitudes, an unusual alliance of business leaders, government officials and environmental groups is pushing the message that today's compact fluorescents boast far more advantages than drawbacks.

Chief among the benefits is that CFLs use 75 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs. The EPA estimates that if every household in the U.S. swapped one incandescent for a compact fluorescent, it would save enough energy to light 3 million homes each year.

The energy savings result from the way the bulbs generate light. In a traditional incandescent bulb, electricity heats a tungsten filament inside a glass globe. Most of the energy is lost to heat instead of light.

In a compact fluorescent, light is produced when mercury vapor conducts electrical current to a luminescent coating that lines a glass tube. A 13-watt compact fluorescent is equal to a 60-watt incandescent, generating the same amount of light with less power.

Early fluorescents had a bluish hue, took a second or two to light up and often wouldn't fit into regular light fixtures. Manufacturers have since tinkered with the mechanics to match the yellowish warmth of incandescent bulbs, mostly by adjusting the mix of compounds in the light-producing coatings.

Prices have come down, and though fluorescents still cost more than incandescents, most pay for themselves within six months through lower electric bills. Consumers can save $30 over the life of each 13-watt compact fluorescent, according to the EPA.

"Not all CFLs are created equal, but we've come closer to narrowing the difference with incandescents," said Chuck Bentivegna, a lighting technology manager at General Electric.

The newer compact fluorescents won over the editors of Popular Mechanics. In its May issue, the magazine concludes that the new bulbs "aren't just better for both your wallet and the environment -- they produce better light" than before.

More intense efforts to promote the bulbs began around the time a United Nations panel of climate scientists concluded that people "very likely" are responsible for rising levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases that are linked to global warming.

Coal-fired power plants, which generate about half of the nation's electricity, are one of the biggest sources of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Many experts say that if action isn't taken soon to reduce greenhouse gases, or at least slow their growth, the result could be rapidly shifting weather, coastal flooding, prolonged droughts and heat waves.

Backers of compact fluorescents say switching bulbs is a simple way for people to get involved. Adding one CFL to every U.S. household would keep 9 billion tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere -- the same effect as taking 800,000 cars off the road, according to the EPA.

"Consumers have the power to make an impact and every step can have a big difference," Mayor Richard Daley said in announcing the city would hand out 500,000 bulbs this year. Distributed through aldermanic offices and some city buildings, each bulb is accompanied by a note from Daley touting the environmental benefits.

Turning to Internet

Elsewhere, efforts are under way to promote the bulbs on Google and Yahoo Web sites and through public service announcements featuring Hollywood actors and famous athletes. Yahoo and Nielsen also have created a Web site, 18seconds.org, that tracks sales by city and state.

Once relegated to the bottom of store shelves or the pages of eco-friendly catalogs, compact fluorescents also are getting a big boost from America's largest company. Wal-Mart is vowing to sell 100 million a year, an ambitious goal considering the bulbs now account for just 6 percent of the market. Another big retailer, Home Depot, vowed to give away 1 million of the bulbs on Earth Day.

As the momentum builds, however, questions remain about how best to collect burned-out bulbs for recycling.

The amount of mercury in an average compact fluorescent is so small it would fit on the tip of a ballpoint pen.

The EPA says breaking a bulb doesn't pose a risk in the home, but the agency suggests that if it happens people should sweep up the shards of glass and ventilate the room.

The greater concern lies in the idea of millions of bulbs breaking in the trash and releasing poisonous vapor.

"Homeowners are being encouraged by practically everybody to buy these things," said Paul Abernathy, executive director of the Association of Lighting and Mercury Recyclers. "It's disingenuous to sell CFLs for profit but fail to do anything to help safely dispose of them."

The city of Chicago accepts spent fluorescent and incandescent bulbs at its Household Hazardous Waste Center, 1120 North Branch St., then sells them to recyclers. (Officials generally advise people to wait until their incandescent bulbs burn out before switching to compact fluorescents.)

Federal officials encourage people to type their ZIP code into the earth911.org Web site to find other dropoff locations.

Advocacy groups, though, say the government and retailers aren't doing enough to make it easy for consumers to safely dispose of CFLs.

So far IKEA is the only large retailer with a take-back program. Wal-Mart has resisted the idea, but on Thursday the company announced it had brokered a deal with manufacturers to reduce the amount of mercury in the CFLs it sells.

The EPA and other proponents of compact fluorescents note that the bulbs can reduce mercury emissions in other ways. A coal-fired power plant releases two-thirds less mercury pollution in lighting a compact fluorescent than an incandescent.

"Like many things, a compact fluorescent isn't perfect," said Howard Learner, executive director of the Environmental Law and Policy Center. "But they're far better than the alternative. They're a good deal for your pocketbook and a good deal for the environment."

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COMPACT FLUORESCENT BENEFITS

75%

How much less electricity is consumed by the compact fluorescent bulbs

10

Number of times longer compact fluorescent bulbs last

$30

Consumer's average savings over the life of the compact fluorescent bulb

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Disposal sites

Fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury and are not recommended to be thrown in the trash. Contact these local sites for disposal dates and times.

Chicago

1150 N. Branch St.

Chicago, IL 60622

847-296-9205

State of Illinois

421 N. County Farm Rd.

Wheaton, IL 60187 (June 2)

217-785-8604

Oak Street

St. Charles, IL 60174 (May 19)

217-785-8604

Naperville

1971 Brookdale Rd.

Naperville, IL 60540

630-420-6700

Lake County

Various locations

847-336-9340

Air Cycle Corp.

2000 S. 25th Ave., Suite C

Broadview, IL 60155

800-909-9709

IKEA

1800 E. McConnor Pkwy.

Schaumburg, IL 60173

847-969-9700

Fluorecycle Inc.

27780 W. Concrete Drive

Ingleside, IL 60041

815-363-4411

mhawthorne@tribune.com

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