Summary of State Regulations on Mercury Lamp Recycling

Federal laws ban the disposal of most mercury containing lamps. These items that contain mercury re considered HAZARDOUS WASTE. Each state in the northeast has adopted these regulations and in most cases have more strict requirements.

MA, NY, VT, and CT have all adopted a section of the hazardous waste rules called the Universal Waste Rule (UWR). The UWR strictly prohibits disposal, but relaxes paper work, handling and transportation requirements. This makes it easier for generators to comply with the regulations and helps keep costs down. Each state has slightly different regulations and the following is a short summary by state. For more detailed information, please visit the websites provided.

Massachusetts: Business, municipal and institutional generators must recycle mercury-containing lighting.

• Residential generators (individual households) are conditionally exempt from these requirements.
• An allowance exists for the disposal for low mercury, straight fluorescent lamps. However, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recommends recycling all mercury containing lamps. Even low mercury lamps contain mercury and there are still human health and environmental concerns with disposing in the trash.
• When lamps are found in the trash, it is the responsibility of the generator to prove that it was a low mercury lamp.

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Vermont: Vermont has the strictest regulations of all New England states.

• All lamps must be recycled. No generator or type of lamp is exempt from regulations.
• Vermont is leading the nation in calling for manufacturers to label lamps with Hg, the chemical symbol for mercury.

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New York: New York has similar regulations to Massachusetts.

• Residential generators are conditionally exempt from recycling.
• Businesses, municipalities and institutions are required to recycle. NY exempts low mercury lamps.
• New York recommends recycling for all mercury-containing lamps and puts the burden on the generator to prove lamps are low in mercury.

Get more information. Connecticut: Connecticut has no exemption for low mercury lamps.

• Any business, institution, or municipal generator must recycle all mercury containing lamps.
• Only residential generators are exempt from recycling requirements.

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