Recycling Mercury-added Fluorescent and other Lamps

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Maine Compact Fluorescent Lamp Breakage Study Report

Handle Mercury-added Light Bulbs Safely

Mercury is a significant environmental problem in Maine. To help address this concern, Maine law requires businesses and consumers to recycle all mercury-added light bulbs (a.k.a. "lamps"). When one of these bulbs breaks, mercury is released. For that reason, it is illegal to throw mercury-added bulbs in the trash in Maine.

How do I know if a light bulb contains mercury?

Common mercury-added light bulbs include, but are not limited to, compact fluorescent (CFL), linear fluorescent (straight, circline and u-tubes), neon lights, black lights, UV lights, and high intensity discharge (HID) bulbs. High intensity discharge bulbs (HID) are commonly used in security, outdoor and warehouse lighting. HID bulbs are sometimes used indoors in commercial settings. Mercury vapor, metal halide, high pressure sodium are all types of HID bulb. HID bulbs are also used in vehicle headlamps and can be identified by their characteristic bluish-white tint when lit. If you are unsure whether a light bulb contains mercury, look for the letters "Hg" (the elemental symbol for mercury) on the bulb. Some light bulbs may also be labeled with the words "contains mercury."

Since I can't throw them away, what should I do with burnt out bulbs?

Answer: Recycle them.

The sales ban of mercury containing fluorescent light bulbs begins Jan 1st, 2026.

A new restriction on mercury containing fluorescent bulbs is effective starting January 1, 2026. LD 1814 (HP 1160) was passed in 2023 as an effort to reduce mercury in the environment by phasing out certain fluorescent light bulbs. To summarize “A person may not offer for sale, sell or distribute as a new manufactured product a compact fluorescent mercury-added lamp or a linear fluorescent mercury-added lamp."

What bulbs are affected?

This includes Mercury added lamps that include, but are not limited to, linear fluorescent mercury-added lamps, compact fluorescent mercury-added lamps and black light, high-intensity discharge, ultraviolet or neon mercury-added lamps.

What bulbs are exempted from this law?

Exemption from this ban includes:

• Mercury-added lamps that are designed and marketed exclusively for image capture and projection, including: photocopying, printing, lithography, film or video projection, or holography.
• Mercury-added lamps that have a high proportion of ultraviolet light emissions such as for disinfection purposes.
  • Mercury-added lamps designed and marketed exclusively for the generation of ozone and that have the primary purpose of emitting radiation.
  • Mercury-added lamps designed and marketed exclusively for coral zooxanthellae symbiosis.
  • Mercury-added lamps designed and marketed exclusively for use in sunlamp products.
• Mercury-added lamps designed and marketed exclusively for use in medical or veterinary diagnosis or treatment or in medical devices.
• Mercury-added lamps designed and marketed exclusively for use in the manufacturing or quality control of pharmaceutical products.
• Mercury-added lamps designed and marketed exclusively for spectroscopy and photometric applications, including, but not limited to, ultraviolet-visible, spectroscopy, molecular spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, nondispersive infrared spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, medical analysis, ellipsometry, layer thickness measurement, process monitoring or environmental monitoring.
• Mercury-added lamps designed and marketed exclusively for use by academic and research institutions for conducting research projects and experiments.
• Compact fluorescent mercury-added lamps that are used to replace a lamp in a motor vehicle that was manufactured on or before January 1, 2020.

Where do I report a violation of this ban?

If an establishment is in noncompliance of the law, you can report the information to Courtney Hafner (207) 314-3357.

Proper Recycling of Fluorescent and HID Bulbs through Product Stewardship

Maine requires manufacturers of mercury-added lamps to implement a product stewardship program for the recycling of these bulbs from households. The manufacturers' program provides containers to municipal waste collection sites and to retailers for storage, shipping and recycling of the bulbs.

• See Maine manufacturer responsibility law for mercury-added lamps (off-site).
• Information for Municipalities and Retailers to sign up for manufacturers' mercury-added lamp recycling program (off-site).

Through this program, the following may be recycled for free at participating municipal and retail drop-off locations across the state:

• UNLIMITED - Compact Fluorescent bulbs (CFL)
• LIMIT 10 PER VISIT – 8', 4' or smaller Linear Fluorescents, U-tubes, Circular, HID, etc.

If you have larger quantities of non-CFL bulbs, check with your transfer station or town office for recycling options.

How to find the nearest mercury-added light bulb recycling locations:

• Help ME Recycle is our map-based guide to help find locations near you where you can take your burnt out fluorescent and HID bulbs for recycling, as well as mercury thermostats and electronics.
• Visit Mercury Lamp Recyclers Association to search by your zip code for the nearest recycling location.
• Download a printable list of retail and municipal locations offering free recycling of mercury-added (fluorescent) lamps (pdf format).

All retail locations can recycle CFLs, circline, U-shaped and linear fluorescent bulbs up to 2' in length. A more limited number of retail locations may take fluorescent tubes including 4' and 8' in length. We strongly recommend calling the store you plan to visit before bringing your bulbs in to confirm which sizes they can accept for recycling. Many municipal locations will recycle all types of fluorescent bulbs including linear bulbs up to 8' in length.

Businesses who handle larger volumes of bulbs from change-outs or retrofits may use a Universal Waste Management and Recycling Company (PDF), contract with a lamp replacement company to get their fluorescent bulbs recycled. Businesses may contact DEP Hazardous Waste program staff at (207) 287-7688 about requirements and options for businesses.

More Information

• Mercury-Added Product Fact Sheets describe historic and current mercury use in batteries, dental amalgam, lighting, thermostats, measuring devices, and formulated products.
  - Interstate Mercury Education & Reduction Clearinghouse (IMERC) (off site)

Contact Information

For more information on recycling lamps from businesses and on the fluorescent lamp study contact Cherrie Plummer at (207) 830-1772.

For more information about product stewardship and the manufacturers' program contact Courtney Hafner (207) 314-3357.