Fluorescent, CFL and HID
Straight and U-bend tubes, CFLs, metal halide, high pressure sodium and mercury vapor lamps. EPA lists all of them as universal waste lamps. Lamp recycling
Lamp recycling information for Palm Desert, CA.
This page covers lamp recycling information for Palm Desert, CA; it does not confirm service availability. Send your ZIP and counts. A written quote will confirm whether pickup or mail-back is available.
- Fluorescent, CFL and HID
- Ballasts and batteries
- Availability checked by ZIP
- A record for every job
California rules
The California lamp rules that apply in Palm Desert.
Palm Desert sits in Riverside County, California. These rows come from California agency, statute or EPA pages we read; the federal baseline fills any gap.
| Topic | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Business lamps | Businesses must send waste fluorescent tubes and bulbs to an authorized recycling facility and keep documentation showing the lamps were managed properly. | DTSC, Managing Waste Fluorescent Bulbs and Other Mercury-Containing Lamps Fact Sheet |
| Household lamps | Residents may not put mercury-containing lamps in the trash or household recycling bins; many retailers and local agencies accept them for recycling. | DTSC, Universal Waste: Fluorescent Bulbs and Other Mercury-Containing Lamps (residents) |
| Crushing lamps | California universal waste regulations do not allow tube crushers; anyone considering one must contact DTSC about permit requirements. | DTSC, Managing Waste Fluorescent Bulbs and Other Mercury-Containing Lamps Fact Sheet |
| New lamp sales | AB 2208 bans sale of new screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs from January 1, 2024, and pin-base CFLs and linear fluorescent tubes from January 1, 2025. | California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI), Converting... |
| Batteries | The Responsible Battery Recycling Act of 2022 requires battery producers to run a stewardship program to collect and recycle covered batteries. | CalRecycle, Battery Stewardship |
| Universal waste | EPA's state table lists lamps in California's universal waste program. | EPA, Universal Waste Programs in the United States |
| Federal baseline | Under federal rules, business lamps can be managed as universal waste under 40 CFR Part 273. That means closed containers that prevent breakage, a label, and no more than one year in storage. | 40 CFR Part 273 |
| Regulator | Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). | DTSC, Managing Waste Fluorescent Bulbs and Other Mercury-Containing Lamps Fact Sheet |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Read from the sources named, October 3, 2026. Rows appear only where a source was verified. Federal rules shown where noted. States can be stricter. Not legal advice.
What we take
Three streams, one quote.
PCB and non-PCB
EPA says ballasts made before July 2, 1979 may contain PCBs. We keep pre-1979 and unlabeled ballasts apart from the rest of the load. Ballast recycling
By chemistry
EPA asks that lithium batteries be bagged one per bag or have their terminals taped. We collect them with your lamps. Battery recycling
Local programs
What applies in and around Palm Desert.
Riverside County household hazardous waste collection
Riverside County Waste Resources takes fluorescent tubes and bulbs from county residents at permanent collection facilities, free of charge. Containers are limited to 5 gallons or 50 pounds. Business, government and nonprofit waste is not accepted.
Riverside County Department of Waste Resources, Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)
Riverside County small quantity generator program
Riverside County Waste Resources accepts fluorescent lamps from businesses and agencies in the county that generate under 220 pounds of hazardous waste a month. Drop off at 14310 Frederick Street, Moreno Valley is by appointment, for a quoted fee.
Riverside County Department of Waste Resources, Very Small Quantity Generator
Local sources as named, checked when this page was built. Programs change; confirm with the program before relying on it.
How it works
Four steps from Palm Desert storage room to recycling record.
Count by type
Rough counts are enough: four-foot tubes, eight-foot tubes, CFLs, HID lamps, ballasts and batteries.
Send the form
Add your ZIP code. We review availability and include any available service method in a written quote.
Pack and label
Keep every lamp whole; California does not allow crushing under its universal waste rules. Close and label each container, and keep ballasts and batteries apart.
Keep the record
Every job ends with a recycling record that shows what was collected and that it went to a permitted recycler.
Palm Desert questions
What Palm Desert facilities teams ask.
Can a business in Palm Desert put fluorescent tubes in the trash?
Businesses must send waste fluorescent tubes and bulbs to an authorized recycling facility and keep documentation showing the lamps were managed properly. Send counts from your Palm Desert site and we reply with a written quote.
Can lamps be crushed in California?
California universal waste regulations do not allow tube crushers; anyone considering one must contact DTSC about permit requirements. Whole lamps are the simpler path: they ship as universal waste and keep their mercury inside until the recycler captures it.
Is California banning fluorescent tubes?
AB 2208 bans sale of new screw-base and bayonet-base CFLs from January 1, 2024, and pin-base CFLs and linear fluorescent tubes from January 1, 2025. When new tubes get hard to buy, fixtures tend to convert to LED and the old lamps, ballasts and batteries all come out at once.
Can you collect from a Palm Desert site?
Send your ZIP code and rough counts with the form. We check whether pickup or mail-back is available there before quoting. A city page is not a service guarantee. Every completed job ends with a recycling record.
Federal rules shown where noted. States can be stricter. Not legal advice.
More near Palm Desert.
Lamps waiting at a Palm Desert site?
Send rough counts and your ZIP. The written quote will confirm whether pickup or mail-back is available for that location.