Categorized by their regulation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a wide variety of items that require special handling fall under household hazardous waste (HHW). Commonly generated by consumers in small quantities, HHW includes batteries, fluorescent bulbs, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and items considered ignitable, reactive, corrosive or toxic. HHW is regulated on the state and local level due to their federal exclusion under Subtitle C of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and state and community programs collect it for many important benefits, including reducing risks to health and the environment that could result from improper storage or disposal through traditional municipal solid waste (MSW). These items can contaminate the air or groundwater, react or explode in waste compactors, or injure workers when discarded with other trash. Thus, HHW management and storage facilities that accumulate materials for recycling in larger quantities are challenged with minimizing liability, controlling costs, and designing operations that are both efficient and ensure workplace safety. At TerraCycle, we specialize in the recycling of traditionally non-recyclable items and helping businesses reduce waste. With the creation of our Regulated Waste division a few years ago, we’ve been able to help facilities across America improve results, save money, and protect the environment while providing EPA, OSHA, and ACGIH compliance.

This machine crushes CFLs, u-tubes and straight linear lamps of any length and stores the bits for recycling in a 55-gallon drum, which can hold 1,359 four-foot lamps. Bulb Eater 3can save 50 percent on recycling costs and minimize storage space by up to 80 percent. Air Cycle offers pickup options.

One solution that solves the issue of space when disposing of spent bulbs is a drum-top bulb-crusher like the BulbEater... The BulbEater® captures the mercury with a 5-stage HEPA filtration system, safely locking hazardous mercury vapor in the carbon stage.

Bulb Eater 3 series with Intelli Technology provides a nationwide pickup and recycling service for crushed lamps produced by the Bulb Eater. The lamp-crushing system crushes straight fluorescent lamps of any length, compact fluorescent lamps, and U-tube lamps into 100 percent recyclable material while capturing 99.99 percent of vapors released.

TerraCycle's efficient drum-top bulb crushing systems, the BulbEater3 and BulbEater3L, have received CE certification from the European Commission's Directorate-General (DG) for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. Obtaining a Declaration of Conformity (DoC) is essential for the sale and distribution of a product in the European Economic Area and other regions.

While many facilities have become dependent on the fluorescent light, disposing of these mercury-laden bulbs in the required environmentally prudent way can be a serious inconvenience. Drum-top bulb-crushing machines, like TerraCycle’s BulbEater 3, can compact the spent bulbs and safely capture the mercury contained within.

So, what are some creative ways that your campus can improve your sustainability profile?... Expand recycling programs beyond the usual. Recycling cans, bottles, and paper is always a good idea, but companies like TerraCycle offer specialized recycling programs that can also be a big success on campus. Coffee pods, printer cartridges, snack wrappers, and even med waste like sharps and syringes can be collected in a Zero Waste Box program and sent back to TerraCycle for recycling.

TRENTON, N.J., (May 8, 2018) – TerraCycle announces the sale of BulbEater® units to Chevron Energy Corporation.  Chevron plans to place the drum-top fluorescent lamp technology on oil rigs throughout Asia, providing their crews with the ability to properly compact spent bulbs on-site, saving valuable space and preventing accidental release of mercury.