Businesses and households now can dispose of fluorescent lights, and other lights containing mercury vapor, for free in Clallam and Jefferson counties.
Collection sites are participating in a new statewide program, LightRecycle Washington, an industry group that will cover the costs to allow businesses and households to dispose of up to 10 mercury-containing lights per day at no charge.
LightRecycle Washington is funded by an environmental handling charge of 25 cents, which will be added to all mercury-containing lights sold at retail in the state.
The change came into effect Thursday.
Disposal of lights containing mercury vapor — which is toxic, affecting the central nervous system — in ordinary trash became illegal last year.
Sites in Clallam County are Thurman Supply, 1807 E. Front St., and Around Again in Sequim and Port Angeles, said Helen Freilich, waste reduction specialist with the city of Port Angeles solid waste division.
In Sequim, Around Again is at 22 Gilbert Road. In Port Angeles, it is at 2604 W. 18th St.
In Jefferson County, spent mercury-containing lights are accepted at the Jefferson County’s Recycle Center next to the main waste transfer station off Jacob Miller Road, at the Quilcene drop box site on U.S. Highway 101 and at the Hazardous Waste Collection Facility in the Port of Port Townsend’s Boat Haven, said Jerry Mingo, hazardous waste coordinator with Jefferson County Public Works.
The main categories of lights accepted for recycling by the LightRecycle Washington program are fluorescent tubes (straight or curved), compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) — such as those used as tanning lights — and high intensity discharge lights (HIDs). The program does not accept lighting fixtures or ballast.
In Jefferson County, the new program eliminates fees that businesses had paid when recycling mercury-containing lamps. Residential lamps had been accepted free of charge, with recycling costs had been paid from garbage fee revenue.
“The seemingly subtle change is notable as another example of industry accepting responsibility for the proper handling of end-of-life products that are hazardous or difficult to manage,” said Richard Talbot, Jefferson County’s solid waste manager.
Another example of an “extended producer responsibility” program, Mingo said, is the computer manufacturers’ E-Cycle Washington program that provides free recycling of computers, monitors, laptops, televisions, electronic book readers and portable DVD players.
Computer equipment, rechargeable batteries, fluorescent and HID lamps all contain toxic metals that can harm people and that are persistent pollutants, Mingo said.
E-cycling sites in Jefferson County are The Recycle Center, 301 County Landfill Road, and the Goodwill store at 602 Howard St., in Port Townsend.
Collection sites in Clallam County are at the Goodwill stores in Port Angeles, 603 S. Lincoln St., and Sequim, 680 W. Washington St,, Suite C, as well as EcycleNW, 272693 U.S. Highway 101 in Blyn.
Information about the electronics recycling program, which is starting its seventh year, can be found at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-ecycling.
For more information in Jefferson County, phone Mingo at 360-385-9160 or visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-jeffcosolidwaste.
For more information in Clallam County, phone Freilich at 360-417-4874.