Household Fluorescents

Fluorescent bulbs contain a small amount of mercury. To dispose of them properly, residents should review the following options:

  1. Our partnering hardware stores take only CFLs, 2-foot, 4-foot, U-shaped and circular bulbs. OCRRA makes this free disposal option available to all households in Onondaga County.
  2. Participating Home Depot or Lowe’s stores will take only CFLs, the small “twirly” kind.
  3. OCRRA’s free Household Toxics Drop-off program will take all bulbs, including 8-foot tubes. There is a limit of 20 items per appointment. An appointment is required. Other acceptable household toxics must be dropped off with bulbs. Review the list of acceptable items before making an appointment.

These programs are for residents. Businesses can find disposal services below.

If your bulb is broken, review proper clean up instructions before placing it in your trash.

Partnering Hardware Stores

The following stores will accept compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), 2–foot and 4–foot fluorescent tubes (no 8-foot tubes accepted), circular and u-shaped fluorescent lamps for recycling:

  • Bob’s Ace Hardware, 4805 S. Salina St., Syracuse
  • Manlius True Value, 8225 Cazenovia Rd., Manlius
  • Nightingale Mills Ace Hardware, 4068 S. Street Road, Marcellus
  • Nightingale’s Tully Lakes Hardware, 6 Elm St., Tully
  • Suburban ACE Hardware, 7990 Oswego Rd., Liverpool
  • Valu Home Center, Airport Plaza, 3803 Brewerton Rd., Syracuse
  • Valu Home Center, Western Lights Shopping Center, 4671 Onondaga Blvd., Syracuse
  • Village ACE Hardware, 204 S. Manlius St., Fayetteville
  • Village ACE Hardware, 43 E. Genesee St., Baldwinsville

Disposal Options for Businesses

Businesses can find disposal services on the NYSDEC’s website.

NYS Environmental Law

Learn more about NYS Environmental Conservation Law and mercury management at dec.ny.gov

    Three national companies, GE Lighting, Philips Lighting, and Osram Sylvania manufacture low mercury fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescents and high pressure sodium lamps. These bulbs should be available through any local company that is a distributor of commercial lighting products.