Lamp recycling for schools and districts.
School buildings can hold fluorescent tubes and older ballasts in every wing. We collect fluorescent, CFL and HID lamps, ballasts and batteries by scheduled pickup or mail-back box, and send a certificate of recycling for every job.
EPA warns that a fluorescent light ballast can fail without warning at any time. Ballasts made before July 2, 1979 may contain PCBs, so older school buildings need a sorting plan before a retrofit starts.
What one Pennsylvania district's recycling bid listed.
Council Rock School District published bid 24-30 for lamp and ballast recycling for 2024 to 2027. These are the terms we recorded for two vendors. They show how a district can compare per-unit rates, a pickup charge and a three-year total.
| Item | Complete Recycling Solutions | Clean Earth and AERC |
|---|---|---|
| Straight tube, per foot | $0.055 | $0.09, rising to $0.11 |
| U-tube or CFL, each | $0.30 | Not recorded |
| HID lamp, each | $0.95 | Not recorded |
| PCB ballast, per pound | $0.95 | Not recorded |
| Non-PCB ballast, per pound | $0.25 | Not recorded |
| Batteries, per pound | $0.95 | Not recorded |
| Pickup charge | $150 | None |
| Three-year total | $19,753.50 | $26,464.50 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Source: Council Rock School District (PA), bid 24-30, 2024 to 2027, as we recorded it. These are public bid terms, not Lamp Recycler prices. A lower total depends on the quantities in the bid. We reply with our own written quote.
Six facts a facilities director should know.
EPA publishes a page on PCB ballasts in school buildings. Washington's Department of Ecology has its own school guidance. These points come from those two sources.
EPA says ballasts made before July 1, 1979 may contain PCBs. A 2020 EPA fact sheet uses July 2, 1979.
Ballasts made from 1979 to 1998 without PCBs must be labeled "No PCBs". Without that label, assume PCBs unless you know the ballast is newer.
EPA says only T12 magnetic ballasts may contain PCBs. T8 and T5 ballasts may not.
A ballast failure can happen at any time. PCBs are persistent, bioaccumulative toxicants.
EPA says exposure is mainly through breathing PCB-contaminated air or touching PCB-contaminated materials.
Washington's school guidance says to assume 50 ppm or more and send ballasts to a TSCA incinerator or chemical landfill within one year.
Federal rules shown. States can be stricter. Not legal advice. See how to sort them in our PCB ballast identification guide.
Planning a lamp and ballast removal.
A district usually runs the work building by building. This order keeps lamps whole and ballasts sorted. For the federal handling steps, see the compliance guide.
- Count tubes, CFLs and HID lamps by building
- Count ballasts, and note which are older T12 units
- Agree who arranges recycling before work starts
- Pull lamps whole and never crush them
- Use closed, labeled containers with a start date
- Set pre-1979 and unlabeled ballasts apart
- Set any leaking ballast apart on its own
- Keep a recycling record for every job
Sources: 40 CFR 273.13, 273.14 and 273.15; EPA, PCB ballasts in schools. We schedule pickup around your job. Federal rules shown. States can be stricter. Not legal advice.
What facilities teams ask.
Short answers on lamps, ballasts and paperwork for school buildings.
What do you collect from schools?
We collect fluorescent, CFL and HID lamps, ballasts and batteries. A district can choose scheduled pickup or a mail-back box. Lamps, ballasts and batteries can leave in the same visit, and we reply with a written quote once you send rough counts.
Do old school ballasts contain PCBs?
Some may. EPA says ballasts made before July 2, 1979 may contain PCBs, and unlabeled ballasts made from 1979 to 1998 should be assumed to. Only T12 magnetic ballasts may contain them. Sort by date and label before anything leaves the building.
Can a mail-back box take our PCB ballasts?
No. PCB ballasts do not go in lamp mail-back kits. A mail-back box suits a small, lamp-only batch. For a building with ballasts, a scheduled pickup lets lamps, ballasts and batteries leave together and keeps PCB ballasts on their own path.
What paperwork do we get?
A certificate of recycling for every job. Your lamps and ballasts are sent to a permitted recycler. Keep the certificate with the building file. Some funders ask for proof of recycling, so confirm what your own program requires before the work starts.
Can we crush tubes to save space?
Usually not. EPA's demolition guidance says fluorescent lamps should not be crushed. Washington says lamps under universal waste rules cannot be crushed. Keep lamps whole in closed, labeled containers until pickup. Clean up any broken lamp at once and seal it in its own container.
How long can lamps sit in storage?
Federal universal waste rules allow up to one year, counted from the date a lamp becomes waste (40 CFR 273.15). Containers must prevent breakage and carry a label. Write a start date on each container. States can be stricter, so check your state agency.
Send counts for your district.
Rough counts per building are enough to start. We reply with a written quote, and we schedule pickup around your job.