Green Dirt, the GreenForGood.com Network Blog: What To Do If You Break A Compact Fluorescent Bulb

If you happen to break a compact fluorescent bulb containing trace amounts of mercury, you can do the cleanup yourself, without renting a moon suit or contacting authorities.

The EPA advises the following treatment:

Open a window and leave the room for at least 15 minutes (to let the mercury vaporize).
Remove all materials (i.e., the pieces of the broken bulb) without using a vacuum cleaner. You don't want even a small amount of mercury lurking in your vacuum. To do so:
- Wear disposable rubber gloves, if available. (Never touch the bulb pieces with your bare hands.)
- Carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard (you don't want the stuff to get on your broom or dustpan either).
- Wipe the area clean with a damp paper towel or disposable wet wipe. Sticky tape, such as duct tape (yet another use for the versatile material!), can be used to pick up small pieces and powder.
Place all cleanup materials in a plastic bag and seal it. If your state permits you to put used or broken CFLs in the garbage, seal the CFL in two plastic bags and put into the outside trash (if no other disposal or recycling options are available). If your state doesn't allow this, consult the local hazardous-waste authority for safe-recycling information. Some hardware stores will also accept old bulbs; to find a recycler near you (see below), try Earth 911 , or (800) CLEAN-UP, for a location near you.
Wash your hands after disposing of the bag.
The first time you vacuum the area where the bulb was broken, remove the vacuum bag once done cleaning the area (or empty and wipe the canister) and put the bag and/or vacuum debris, as well as the cleaning materials, in two sealed plastic bags in the outdoor trash or protected outdoor location for normal disposal.

Full details can be found in http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/Fact_Sheet_Mercury.pdf

LOCAL RECYCLER: