Home Depot Offers CFL Recycling At All Stores

The Home Depot (NYSE: HD) has launched a free recycling program for compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs at all 1,973 of its U.S. stores.

The recycling program addresses a serious concern over the disposal of CFL bulbs. While switching to these more energy efficient bulbs is widely considered the first step in cutting home energy use, the bulbs contain slight amounts of mercury, which is extremely dangerous to human health.

If these bulbs are simply tossed in the trash, the mercury within them can be released into the air or groundwater.

Home Depot customers can now bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, and hand them in at the returns desk. The bulbs will then be managed by an environmental management company who will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance, Home Dept said in a release.

In addition to the CFL recycling program, The Home Depot has also launched an in-store energy conservation program to switch Light Fixture Showrooms in U.S. stores from incandescent bulbs to CFLs by Fall 2008, a move that will save a projected $16 million annually in energy costs.

The CFL recycling program is an extension of The Home Depot’s Eco Options program. Eco Options, launched in April 2007, is a classification that allows customers to easily identify products that have less of an impact on the environment.