Universal waste rules
Updated regulations now require that all batteries delivered for recycling must either have their ends taped and/or placed in plastic bags. The Universal Waste Rule or UWR was designed to reduce the amount of hazardous waste items in the municipal solid waste stream, encourage the recycling and proper disposal of some common hazardous wastes, and reduce the regulatory burden on businesses that generate these wastes. The UWR established the guidelines for the following categories: Lamps, Batteries, Ballasts and mercury containing devices.
These guidelines cover:
Please fill out our e-scrap / drop-off form and bring it with you.
All mercury-containing lamps, regardless of the amount of mercury, should be handled as a hazardous (“universal”) waste and stored carefully to avoid breakage. Green tip or low-mercury fluorescent lighting still contain mercury (just less of it) and should NOT be placed in the trash.