Many people are surprised to learn that some of the things they throw away would be considered hazardous waste if they were discarded by industry. Even many of those things that are not hazardous waste, like most used oils and paints, should be kept out of landfills, because they could end up in groundwater (if liners leak) or in the leachate that is generated at landfills. Many items, like fluorescent lights, are being advocated by green organizations like the Sierra Club despite the fact that they contain mercury and are not to be disposed in landfills. That leaves a concerned citizen who wants to recycle or properly dispose of such wastes in a quandary.
Some municipalities have collection days when household hazardous waste and similar items can be brought to a central location for pick up and disposal. In West Virginia, those opportunities are few and far between. However, Carroll Cather of the WV DEP has provided me with some businesses and disposal operations that will take certain types of household hazardous waste. You can access those lists at the Robinson & McElwee website; I don't believe they are yet available on the DEP website.
To answer a FAQ, to my knowledge, Home Depot is still taking used compact fluorescents for recycling or disposal.
Thanks to Carrol Cather for providing the lists, and to Mary Aldridge for helping get them in a place where they could be accessed.
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