Cloquet Home Center now offers fluorescent lamp recycling program

Cloquet Home Center has joined forces with Mercury Technologies of Minnesota Inc. to provide CFL recycling to area residents and small businesses. They will be able to accept CFLs at no charge for all Minnesota Power customers.

Minnesota State Law requires that spent fluorescent lamps be recycled.

“Regardless of the legal requirements surrounding fluorescent lamp disposal, the real issue is caring for the environment,” explained Kelly Gribauval-Hite, CEO of Mercury Technologies of Minnesota Inc. “Properly recycled, fluorescent lamps are environmentally friendly due to using far less energy, lasting many times longer, and costing less to operate than standard incandescent lamps. However, fluorescent lamps contain small amounts of the hazardous substance, mercury, which must be handled in an equally environmentally friendly manner.”

If fluorescent lamps are placed in household trash, mercury is released to the environment from waste incinerators or landfills, eventually falling to earth when it rains. This has a broad and long lasting effect on the environment as mercury contamination lasts for generations.

Through an innovative program, Cloquet Home Center now serves as a collection point for spent fluorescent lamps. Area residents and businesses are welcome to bring their spent lamps to Cloquet Home Center, 500 Commerce Way, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Saturday from 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about the program, call Cloquet Home Center at 218-879-3388.

Tags: carlton county, cloquet, environment