You know those CFL bulbs that are all the rage because they last something like eight million times as long as a regular light bulb, and conserve a whole ton of energy at the same time?  Well, it turns out you shouldn’t just toss them once they’re finally burned out, because they contain trace amounts of mercury, a heavy metal (not the Poison kind, the poison kind).  Up until now, recycling centers for CFLs have been scarce, but have included Ikea and True Value Hardware.

But now, good news comes our way as Home Depot, which is the nation’s second-largest retailer, is announcing today that it will take back CFLs in every one of its nearly 2,000 stores.  And it’s free!  From the press release:

At each Home Depot store, customers can simply bring back any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs, and give them to the store associate behind the returns desk.  The bulbs will then be managed responsibly by an environmental management company who will coordinate CFL packaging, transportation and recycling to maximize safety and ensure environmental compliance.

According to an article in the New York Times, it is estimated that 75% of Americans live within 10 miles of a Home Depot, making recycling of CFLs relatively easy.  The same article suggests that replacing all your light bulbs with CFLs will reduce your electricity bill $12 to $20 a month.

So what is there to lose?  takepart here to learn which CFL is the best choice, and then hop, skip, or jump down to the Home Depot and pick up a few, and remember where the store is for when you need to recycle them.  Everybody wins.  Yay!