Drumheller residents now have a safe environmentally friendly way to dispose of fluorescent bulbs at the Drumheller and District Land fill.
Fluorescent and the new compact fluorescent light bulbs are touted by industry as being more energy efficient, but the danger lying within them is mercury vapour. Drumheller and District Solid Waste Management Association (DDSWMA) have purchased a “Bulb Eater” which effectively disposes of the bulbs.
Tammi Nygaard, operations manager for the DDSWMA, has a concern for the bulbs. When broken, mercury vapour is released. This can have significant health effects. Also if the bulbs are land filled, the mercury can potentially cause environmental damage.
The Bulb Eater is a safe way to dispose of the bulbs, and does not pose a risk to the public or employees.
The bulbs are dropped into a vacuum pressurized vat. The glass is smashed in the closed environment and the vapour is captured in a three-filter Hepa system. The glass can then be safely land filled, while the filters containing the mercury are properly disposed of.
While the DDSWMA had been looking into the idea of purchasing machinery for this purpose, Nygaard said they were cognizant to pick the machine that would operate safely and efficiently, and they put in time to do the research.
The opportunity to purchase came when the Association received a donation from the Wheatland / Strathmore Recycling Society which disbanded and disbursed its savings to the local recycling bodies.
The Bulb Eater has been up and running for about a month and already has accumulated a vat of smashed glass. Bulbs can simply be dropped off at the Drumheller and District landfill.
The service is free and they take all sizes of tube fluorescent bulbs, as well as compact fluorescent lights.
