Please don’t try to recycle your fluorescent tubes through these retail collection bins, as the bulbs will likely break and contaminate the store. It’s also easier to ship CFLs for recycling than the tubes. CFLs are more widely purchased by consumers in these retail stores, whereas fluorescent tubes are more often used in offices. The biggest market for CFL recycling is retailers (like Home Depot and Lowe’s ), which accept them for free but only from consumers. Why is it easier to find recycling options for CFLs than fluorescent tubes? Aluminum is recycled as scrap metal, and the glass is downcycled into materials like concrete or ceramic tile. Mercury can be reused in new bulbs or products like thermostats. How are fluorescent tubes recycled?įluorescent tubes are shipped to a bulb recycler that uses special machines to extract the mercury and breaks down the aluminum caps and glass casing. You may need to pay more, but LED tubes contain no mercury, are dimmable, save 30 percent more energy and last 50,000 hours on average. You can now purchase LED tubes that are fully compatible for a fluorescent tube fixture. Are there alternatives to fluorescent tubes? Many communities put on HHW events several times per year if they don’t operate a permanent collection facility. Seven states have banned lamps containing mercury from landfillsįind a place near you to recycle your fluorescent tube with our Recycling Locator.įind Recycling Guides for Other Materialsįrequent Fluorescent Tubes Recycling Questions Can I recycle fluorescent tubes in my curbside recycling program?įluorescent lamps are considered household hazardous waste (HHW), so they don’t belong in the recycling bin (even if your curbside program accepts glass and metal, the main materials inside the tube).Each fluorescent tube contains mercury, a hazardous material that is also quite valuable, as well as aluminum and glass.Pack your tube in newspaper or bubble wrap when transporting to a recycling center or household hazardous waste event.In my field, medical imaging, we have to transport/ship very expensive and some times 'one of a few' test instruments. I agree, they are typically very expensive. There’s no recycling market for broken fluorescent lamps. Mainly pointing out they make the Tube Depot cases Scott mentioned. If the tube breaks, here’s what to do.You’ll then need to remove the light cover and unscrew the tube. Use a ladder to ensure the bulb doesn’t fall to the ground. When uninstalling a burnt-out tube, make sure to turn off the fuse box providing power to that section of the house.Luckily, these tubes will last up to 15,000 hours, so you won’t need to worry about recycling them often. It is the oldest of the main depots on the Underground, having been built in 1905.While compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) have extensive recycling options through retail drop-offs and mail-in programs, the same can’t be said for fluorescent tubes. Located on the District line, located between Acton Town and Ealing Common stations in West London. Here are where they are all located:Īcton Works opened in 1922 and is a maintenance facility which is accessed through the Jubilee and District line tracks. In fact you may have even passed one but just never noticed. Wow after initial breaking mid-range magic. Instead of pairing these speakers up with the Fostex amp I choose the tube depot tube cube 7 amplifier. I was told that the highs and mids were in better balance with the lows when used in a bass reflex enclosure. The answer is an amazing group of depots and maintenance facilities carefully scattered across London to ensure the network keeps runningĪt the depots trains can be built, maintenance carried out, cleaned, stored and rested for the night. I choose as speaker the Kanspea 4 with the Fostex FW105WK. There are of course night services on some lines but that does not account for all 620 trains that are used on the system, so what actually happens to them and where do they go? Behind the scenes a team of dedicated staff ensure that passengers are well looked after and the trains arrive safe and clean.īut one thing you may never really have thought about is what actually happens to all the trains once everyone has left.
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