Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are a group of industrial chemicals that were widely used before 1979 as insulators in electrical equipment. Use and disposal of PCBs is federally regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Toxic Substances and Control Act (TSCA).
2. How can I tell if a ballast manufactured by GE contains PCBs?
All high-power-factor fluorescent lamp ballasts manufactured by GE Lighting prior to May 1977 include a small metal capacitor (an electronic device used to store an electrical charge) that contains approximately 10 grams of PCB fluid. The capacitors in our fluorescent lamp ballasts manufactured after January 1, 1979, do not contain PCBs. Ballasts manufactured between May 1977 and January 1, 1979, may include either type of capacitor.
To find out if your GE Lighting ballast contains PCBs,
- Download the Date of Manufacture Codes chart.
- Look for the two-letter date code that's stamped into the mounting feet at one end of the fluorescent ballast
- Find the ballast's two-letter code on the chart to find the month and year of manufacture.
Ballasts manufactured after January 1, 1979, do not contain PCBs. If the ballast was manufactured between May 1977 and January 1, 1979, look additionally for the catalog number on the label attached to the top of the ballast. If the catalog number contains a "W," the ballast does NOT contain PCBs. (Ballasts manufactured after January 1, 1979, have "No PCB" printed on the label.)
3. How do I dispose of a PCB-containing fluorescent lamp ballast?
PCB-containing ballasts may be restricted from disposal in a normal landfill. If disposal is restricted, please go to www.lamprecycle.org for a list of national lamp and ballast recyclers. Under federal regulations, leaking PCB-containing ballasts may not be disposed of in a landfill; they must be disposed of or recycled in an approved facility.
Download additional information about disposing of PCB-containing ballasts.
4. Where can I find lighting disposal policies and contact information for my state or province?
Please refer to our state disposal policies page. In most states, fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs used at home can be disposed of in the same way as regular light bulbs. While all fluorescent bulbs contain a trace amount of mercury, the quantity is so minute that disposal is not regulated by federal standards (established by the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency).
However, if you are disposing many fluorescent lamps you should know that because they contain mercury they are classified as hazardous waste unless:
1. You, as the end user, generate less than 100kg of hazardous waste per month (approx. 360 4' T12 lamps)
OR
2. The lamps pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) Test.
If the lamps meet these criteria and your state's regulation on TCLP is not stricter than the EPA's regulation, the lamps can be disposed in the same way as normal waste. However, if the lamps do not meet the criteria to be classified as normal waste, they will need to be either recycled by a lamp recycler or disposed under the hazardous waste guidelines of your state.
GE Ecolux® lamps pass federal TCLP regulations and therefore, by federal standards, are not considered hazardous waste. However, you should check with your state regulations to determine if they are stricter than the federal regulations. Other non-Ecolux lamps are not consistently TCLP-compliant.
Look for Ecolux lamps in the fluorescent section of our product catalog.
5. What is ENERGY STAR® and why are many compact fluorescent light bulbs ENERGY STAR labeled?
ENERGY STAR® is a voluntary partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, product manufacturers, local utilities, and retailers. Partners help promote energy efficient products by labeling them with the ENERGY STAR logo and educating consumers about the unique benefits of energy efficient products. ENERGY STAR-labeled products use less energy than other products, save you money on utility bills, and help protect the environment.
Many compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are ENERGY STAR labeled because they are energy efficient alternatives standard incandescent lamps. CFLs use approximately 75% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and can last many times longer. The super efficient performance of CFLs can save consumers at least $25 in energy costs over the life of each CFL that replaces an incandescent bulb.*
You can find out more about ENERGY STAR lighting products from GE by visiting the Energy Information area of our site.
*Based on a minimum life of 6,000 hours at $0.10 kWh.
6. How should I dispose of fluorescent lamps?
Please refer to our state disposal policies page. In most states, fluorescent and compact fluorescent light bulbs used at home can be disposed of in the same way as regular light bulbs. While all fluorescent bulbs contain a trace amount of mercury, the quantity is so minute that disposal is not regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards.
However, if you are disposing many fluorescent lamps you should know that because they contain mercury they are classified as hazardous waste unless:
1. You, as the end-user, generate less than 100kg of hazardous waste per month (approx. 360 4' T12 lamps)
OR
2. The lamps pass the EPA Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) Test.
If the lamps meet these criteria and your state's regulation on TCLP is not stricter than the EPA's regulation, the lamps can be disposed in the same way as normal waste. However, if the lamps do not meet the criteria to be classified as normal waste, they will need to be either recycled by a lamp recycler or disposed under the hazardous waste guidelines of your state.
GE Ecolux® lamps pass federal TCLP regulations and therefore, by federal standards, are not considered hazardous waste. However, you should check with your state regulations to determine if they are stricter than the federal regulations. Other non-Ecolux lamps are not consistently TCLP-compliant.
Look for Ecolux lamps in the fluorescent section of our product catalog.
7. Where can I find a list of lamp recyclers in my area?
For information about lamp and ballast recyclers in your state or Canadian province, visit the Lamp and Ballast Recycling area of our web site.
8. Is GE lamp packaging recyclable?
Most of our commercial lighting products are packaged in cardboard that can be recycled in most areas that have recycling programs.
Some of our packaging includes a plastic shell or "blister pack" made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC has a SPI resin identification code of 3 (also known as the plastic container code; it is the number you usually see inside the recycle triangle, although it may not be stamped on our packaging). These packages are accepted by recycling centers that allow this code number.
9. Is it more energy-efficient to turn a lamp off or leave it on?
The question of "turn them off or let them burn" is a common one in lighting. Since there is no surge involved in the starting of any residential bulb, the answer is "if you are not using them, turn them off." The cost of operating a light bulb is the wattage consumed while lighted thus the general answer is to turn them off.
High intensity discharge lamps (rarely found in indoor household applications) and fluorescent lamps have different operating needs. If you have a fluorescent lamp, the general rule is to turn the lamp off unless you are going to need it again within fifteen minutes. Frequent cycling, turning on and off for short periods of time such as in a closet application, can reduce the life of a fluorescent lamp.
10. How is GE helping support the Dark Sky Ordinance?
Some cities have regulations concerning the amount of light that can be used after dark, commonly referred to as a Dark Sky Ordinance. Any consumer who is requesting assistance to comply with such an ordinance will need to contact the fixture manufacturer. Dark Sky Ordinance regulation concerns the amount of light output, spill-over/ambient light, etc. and is determined by the reflective and design characteristics of the fixture. This obviously will vary for different fixtures and GE does not maintain this information. Decorative lamps are often used in porch lights. Since these are considered "optional use" lamps, they are not rated for lumen output.
GE has been working with the International Dark-Sky Association (IDA) since the inception of the organization and several of GE employees are IDA members. In fact, a GE retiree is a member of the IDA Board.
GE has a full line of energy-efficient shielded and cut-off lighting equipment and, of course, the appropriate light sources for that equipment.
GE's overall approach has traditionally been to develop and promote equipment and designs for high quality outdoor lighting. That means lighting, which is energy efficient, economical, long lasting, and puts the appropriate amount of light where it is needed with a minimum of stray and wasted light.
Each year, GE sponsors the GE Edison Award, which recognizes high-quality lighting designs and the lighting designers involved. The winners are featured in GE advertising and promotional material for a year. Some of these designs have been used in the IDA Slide Sets as examples of astronomy-friendly lighting practice.
However, even the best lighting equipment can be used incorrectly, misaimed or operated in an inefficient manner.
Areas of particular concern are:
- The continued use of non-cutoff roadway lighting equipment
- Poorly-shielded sports lighting (especially municipal tennis, football, soccer and baseball installations)
- Lighting which is unswitched or operates when it is not needed
- Service station "over" lighting