How to Dispose of Light Bulbs: LED, Incandescent, Halogen and CFL

The short answer

• CFLs, fluorescent tubes and HID bulbs contain mercury. Recycle them through your local waste agency, a participating retailer or a mail-back kit, as EPA's bulb recycling page recommends. Some states ban them from landfills.
• Incandescent and halogen bulbs don't contain mercury. San Francisco's environment department lets residents put them in the landfill bin. Wrap them so the glass doesn't cut anyone.
• LED bulbs don't contain mercury, but San Francisco says many contain other toxic metals and asks residents to handle them as hazardous waste. Elsewhere they're often allowed in the trash. Check your local rule.

Checked October 2026. Programs, fees and accepted items change, and the rules where you live are the ones that count. Call your local solid waste office or the drop-off site before you go.

Which bulb do you have?

• CFL: a spiral or folded glass tube on a screw base.
• Fluorescent tube: a long straight or U-shaped tube, usually from shop lights, garages and office fixtures.
• Halogen: a small, very hot capsule bulb, or a glass bulb with a small capsule inside. Common in track lights, floodlights and older lamps.
• Incandescent: the classic bulb with a visible filament.
• LED: usually a plastic or frosted dome on a heavy base, often marked "LED" on the base.

If you aren't sure, check the base or the old package. Recycle anything labeled "Hg" (mercury) as a mercury bulb.

CFLs and fluorescent tubes: recycle them

EPA's bulb recycling page recommends recycling CFLs and other mercury-containing bulbs instead of putting them in household trash, because they often break in cans, dumpsters and compactors. EPA lists California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington as states that prohibit mercury-containing lamps from landfills. Your city may have its own requirement as well.

Options include county HHW programs, some hardware and home stores, and prepaid mail-back kits. Keep tubes in their original sleeve or box so they don't break on the way. Dumpmapper's fluorescent bulb recycling guide covers drop-off options in detail. EPA says that only if your state or local agency allows it should a used or broken CFL be sealed in a plastic bag and put in the outside trash.

LED, incandescent and halogen bulbs

Incandescent and halogen bulbs contain no mercury, and San Francisco's environment department allows them in the black landfill bin. Most curbside recycling doesn't want them because the glass and metal are mixed. Put them in the old box or wrap them in paper before they go in the trash.

LEDs are where the rules differ most. San Francisco says LED bulbs and tubes don't contain mercury, but many contain other toxic metals, so it recommends handling all LEDs through its hazardous-waste programs. Wisconsin DNR's lamp guide (PDF) notes that some red LEDs contain lead, and that household lamps thrown in regular trash are exempt from Wisconsin's hazardous waste rules, though residents are still encouraged to recycle. If your county HHW site or an electronics recycler takes LEDs, that's the better choice. If not, follow your local trash rules.

If a bulb breaks

For a broken CFL or fluorescent tube, follow EPA's broken-CFL cleanup steps. EPA recommends airing out the room for 5 to 10 minutes and not vacuuming unless glass is still left after the other steps. Put the debris and cleanup materials outdoors in a trash container or protected area, then check whether your locality requires broken fluorescent bulbs to go to a recycling center. For broken incandescent or LED glass, use a rigid container, not a bag. See boxing broken glass.

Bringing a load of tubes along with other debris? Ask the site where the bulbs go before you unload, and use the dump fee calculator for the trash part of the trip.

How to Dispose of Light Bulbs FAQ

Can you throw away LED light bulbs?

In many places, yes, but not everywhere. LEDs don't contain mercury, but San Francisco asks residents to handle LEDs as hazardous waste because many contain other toxic metals. Check your city's rule, and recycle them if a program near you accepts them.

Can incandescent and halogen bulbs go in the trash?

Generally, yes. They don't contain mercury, and San Francisco, for example, allows them in the landfill bin. Wrap them first. Most curbside recycling programs don't accept them.

Where do I take CFLs and fluorescent tubes?

Your county HHW program, a participating retailer or a mail-back kit. EPA recommends recycling them, and some states, including California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Washington, prohibit them in landfills.

What do I do if a CFL breaks?

Air out the room for 5 to 10 minutes, don't vacuum at first, collect the debris carefully, and follow EPA's broken-CFL cleanup steps and your local disposal rules.

Do light bulbs go in curbside recycling?

Usually not. Most curbside programs don't take bulbs. Mercury bulbs go to special recycling, and the rest go to the trash or a dedicated program, depending on local rules.

The bottom line

Recycle anything fluorescent. Wrap incandescent and halogen bulbs and check your local LED rule. When in doubt, call your county HHW program. Other small items that contain mercury follow similar rules. See recycling a mercury thermostat.