Sonoma and Napa Counties Launch Residential Fluorescent Lamp
Take-back Program with PG&E
Program will Increase Number of Drop-off Locations for Spent Fluorescent Lamps in Sonoma
and Napa Counties
Sonoma & Napa Counties, Calif. (June 28, 2011) – Sonoma and Napa
counties announced today the launch of a new program with Pacific Gas
and Electric Company (PG&E) that will help support and expand residential
recycling locations for spent fluorescent lamps, as well as build awareness
of the need to recycle fluorescent lamps.
Building on the success of the City of Napa’s Lighting Efficiency and Safe
Stewardship (“LESS”) fluorescent lamp collection program, Sonoma
County and Napa County residents can now more conveniently drop off
their used fluorescent lamps at local businesses participating in the
program. As part of the program, Napa County and Sonoma County Waste
Management Agency (SCWMA) will work with PG&E to help maximize
resources dedicated to building awareness about the need to recycle
fluorescent lamps and expanding recycling infrastructure across the
counties. This regional program promotes collaboration between Sonoma
County, Napa County, City of Napa and PG&E.
How Fluorescent Lamp Recycling
Works
Sonoma County
To support residential fluorescent
recycling, some local businesses are
currently voluntarily taking back
fluorescent lamps for recycling and
proper disposal. This goes above
what the law requires.
Funds from this new program will
recruit at least 10 new locations for
residential drop-off of spent
fluorescent lamps, as well as provide
support to 16 existing drop-off
locations. For current locations, visit
http://recyclenow.org/toxics/fluorescent.asp
“Currently, the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency through its
ratepayers spends more than $100,000 each month managing household
hazardous waste generated by residents, and that number is growing,”
said Karina Chilcott SCWMA Waste Management Specialist. “This
innovative public-private partnership allows us to better manage our costs
and better serve the community through increased recycling collection
opportunities.”
Napa County
Several retail locations are already
accepting fluorescent lamps.
Recruitment efforts for additional
locations, including American Canyon,
Angwin and Lake Berryessa, are
underway. For current locations visit
http://www.naparecycling.com/uwaste
Fluorescent lamps are today one of the most cost-effective methods
available to decrease energy use and associated greenhouse gas (“GHG”)
emissions. At the end of their life, disposal of fluorescent lamps presents a
challenge as they contain trace amounts of toxic mercury vapors that
should not be returned to landfill. It is important to properly dispose of
fluorescent lamps at a participating drop-off location in order to mitigate the
environmental impact of the mercury necessary to make the lamps up to ten times more efficient than
incandescent bulbs.
“Spent fluorescent lamps require special handling, but are safe to use and are 99.9% recyclable when
disposed of properly,” says Steven Lederer, Director of the Napa County Department of Environmental
Management. “The opportunity to get the message out to residents about recycling opportunities for their
spent lamps is greatly enhanced by publicity efforts that span county borders as a result of this program.”
As part of the program, PG&E will provide funding that will not only help expand convenient collection
systems for used residential CFLs at no cost to residents, it will also help increase public awareness
about the need to properly recycle spent lamps.
“PG&E’s work with Napa and Sonoma Counties demonstrates our efforts to improve energy efficiency
and also help ensure the health of our communities through the proper disposal of spent fluorescent
lamps,” said Lisa McNally, Senior Program Manager of Green Communities for PG&E. “Our new
collaboration with Sonoma and Napa Counties is a testament to our shared commitment to environmental
stewardship and responsible community investments.”
About the Sonoma County Waste Management Agency:
The Agency, formed in 1992, is the joint powers authority of Cotati, Cloverdale, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park,
Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, Windsor and the unincorporated County. Its mission is diversion (as required by
state law AB939) of household hazardous waste, composting and wood waste, as well as customer education and
planning. Funding for its programs is derived from a surcharge on garbage delivered to county refuse disposal sites.
Visit the Agency’s website at www.recyclenow.org
About Napa County:
Napa County Environmental Management assists in regulation and coordination of wide range of environmental
health, integrated waste management, and hazardous materials programs through the unincorporated county and
within the incorporated municipalities. The County is coordinating this collection effort with the City of Napa’s Lighting
Efficiency and Safe Stewardship (“LESS”) fluorescent lamp collection program. .
About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation, is one of the largest combined natural gas and
electric utilities in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of
the nation’s cleanest energy to 15 million people in northern and central California. For more information, visit
www.pge.com/about/.