Leave the room if you break a "green" lightbulb!
A warm Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) that breaks should be disposed of with care:
- Leave the room immediately.
- Close the door to the room where the lightbulb broke.
- The European lamp organisation ELC recommends that you stay away from this room for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Air the room (open windows).
- Collect the pieces of glass by using a piece of stiff paper or cardboard.
- Dry the floor and areas close to where the lightbulb broke with a wet rag.
- Place the pieces of glass and rag in a glass jar and close the lid.
- Tighten the lid and mark the glass jar "May contain mercury from CFL's".
- Hand in the jar to a center for environmentally hazardous waste.
- Do not use a vacuum cleaner as this increases the risk of spreading and inhaling mercury fumes.
NB! Don't forget to inform your children, you may not be there when the accident takes place!
Further reading:
Germans hoarding traditional lightbulbs
Green lightbulbs poison workers