Some light bulbs are considered hazardous waste due to material used in them, like mercury. Wondering where your bulbs belong once they burn out? We can help!
Hazardous
These light bulbs contain mercury and need to be disposed of as hazardous waste. They are accepted at our hazardous waste drop-offs in Grimes (by appointment only) and Bondurant! Check out our rates & accepted items webpage for more information.
- Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs, the swirl bulb)
- Fluorescent tubes
- High-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, includes:
- Metal halide
- Mercury vapor
- High pressure sodium lamps
- Some neon lights
Garbage
These types of bulbs do not contain mercury or hazardous material and can be thrown in the garbage!
- Halogen incandescent bulbs
- Incandescent bulbs
- LED Light Bulbs
LED (light emitting diodes) bulbs do not contain mercury or other hazardous chemicals, but it is recommended that you double-bag them when you dispose of them. If you'd like your LED bulbs to be recycled, they are accepted at our Metro Hazardous Waste Drop-Off!