Home program launched to recycle lamps and batteries

Battle Creek, Michigan residents now have a free, convenient solution for responsibly recycling compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and batteries right from their home, thanks to a new program the City of Battle Creek launched.

The city purchased 5,000 battery recycling kits and 2,000 CFL recycling kits through Waste Management’s Think Green From Home (TGFH) program, which was launched last year nationwide to provide consumers convenient mail-in solutions to safely store and recycle household devices that contain heavy metal.

TGFH recycling kits will only be available to Battle Creek residents on a first come, first serve basis and will be distributed at the Battle Creek Public Works Office during normal business hours. There will be a limit one free CFL and one free battery kit recycling kit per household.

The kits are suitable for both the storage and transport of discarded bulbs or batteries and are approved for shipping by the United States Postal Service. Consumers can ship the boxes directly from their home or at any one of the over 34,000 postal offices across the country.

CFLs have increased in use because they reduce energy, however the bulbs contain small amounts of mercury and should be properly recycled. TGFH recycling kits incorporate Mercury VaporLok™ technology, which is designed to reduce the risk of airborne exposure and environmental contamination from lamps broken during storage and shipping.