As awareness of energy conservation and carbon reduction continues to grow, high-efficiency LED lighting has gradually replaced traditional lighting and become the preferred choice for households and public facilities. The Environmental Protection Bureau, Nantou County Government, reminds the public that after replacing home lighting fixtures, used light tubes and bulbs must be properly wrapped with paper materials and handed over separately through recycling channels. Do not mix them with general household waste or dispose of them randomly—make sure to do your part in contributing to environmental sustainability.
The Environmental Protection Bureau, Nantou County Government stated that traditional fluorescent tubes and energy-saving bulbs contain trace amounts of mercury vapor. If they are improperly handled and are broken, the released mercury may pose health risks and contaminate soil and water sources. Although LED lights do not contain mercury, improper disposal of their composite materials, such as glass, metal, and plastic, can still result in resource waste and environmental burden. Proper recycling ensures that these discarded materials enter professional treatment systems, where they are crushed and sorted to recover valuable materials such as glass and metals, thereby realizing the goal of resource circulation.
Director-general Yi-shu Li explained that the steps for recycling used light tubes and bulbs are actually very simple. First, use the paper box, sleeve, or newspaper from the new bulb’s packaging to wrap and secure the discarded bulb completely, reducing the risk of breakage during handling. If a bulb is already broken, please handle it with extra care. Always wear gloves and a mask, carefully gather the fragments together, and wrap them with paper. It is recommended to mark the outer bag with “Broken Light Bulb Inside” to alert cleaning personnel. Finally, deliver the properly wrapped bulbs separately to the recycling vehicle of the local cleaning team, or take them to nearby collection points such as hypermarkets, supermarkets, or appliance stores that provide recycling services. Every small action counts—by properly recycling used light bulbs and tubes, we can prevent pollution and make better use of resources. Let’s all take part in the “Wrap Well, Recycle Separately” campaign and work together to keep our environment clean for the generations to come.