Home Depot kicks off nationwide CFL recycling program

June 24 -- Recycling compact fluorescent light bulbs just got easier. Home Depot announced it will offer free CFL recycling at each of its 1,973 locations.

Customers can drop off expired, unbroken bulbs at the returns counter of any Home Depot store.

The home improvement retailer is beginning the program in response to customers´ concerns about improper disposal of the bulbs, which contain small amounts of mercury.

The national recycling program is the most widespread of its kind and offers an alternative to some existing options -- community hazardous waste programs and select retail stores, according to the retailer.

"With more than 75 percent of households located within 10 miles of a Home Depot store, this program is the first national solution to providing Americans with a convenient way to recycle CFLs," said Ron Jarvis, Home Depot´s senior vice president for environmental innovation.

Contact Waste News intern Caitlin Saniga at (330) 865-6164 or wnintern@crain.com