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
This page covers lamp recycling information for Pawtucket, RI; it does not confirm service availability. Send your ZIP and counts. A written quote will confirm whether pickup or mail-back is available.
Pawtucket sits in Providence County, Rhode Island. These rows come from Rhode Island agency, statute or EPA pages we read; the federal baseline fills any gap.
| Topic | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Business lamps | Businesses must collect and manage spent lamps as universal waste and send them for recycling. State law also bans disposing of mercury lamps other than by recycling or as hazardous waste. | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Fluorescent and HID Bulb Disposal... |
| Crushing lamps | RIDEM says lamp crushing is not recycling and may be considered illegal treatment of hazardous waste. | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Fluorescent and HID Bulb Disposal... |
| New lamp sales | Rhode Island bans sale of new screw or bayonet base CFLs from January 1, 2024 and new pin-base CFLs and linear fluorescent lamps from January 1, 2025. | Rhode Island General Laws § 23-24.9-6.1, Prohibition on fluorescent lamps |
| Batteries | Rhode Island's Battery Deposit and Control law (chapter 23-60) controls disposal and promotes recycling of vehicle batteries. | Rhode Island General Laws § 23-60-1, Legislative findings and policy |
| Universal waste | EPA's state table lists lamps in Rhode Island'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 | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM). | Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Fluorescent and HID Bulb Disposal... |
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.
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
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
EPA asks that lithium batteries be bagged one per bag or have their terminals taped. We collect them with your lamps. Battery recycling
The Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation Eco-Depot at 34 Shun Pike in Johnston takes fluorescent bulbs and tubes. It is free for Rhode Island households only, and commercial waste is not accepted.
Local sources as named, checked when this page was built. Programs change; confirm with the program before relying on it.
Rough counts are enough: four-foot tubes, eight-foot tubes, CFLs, HID lamps, ballasts and batteries.
Add your ZIP code. We review availability and include any available service method in a written quote.
Keep every lamp whole; Rhode Island does not allow crushing under its universal waste rules. Close and label each container, and keep ballasts and batteries apart.
Every job ends with a recycling record that shows what was collected and that it went to a permitted recycler.
Businesses must collect and manage spent lamps as universal waste and send them for recycling. State law also bans disposing of mercury lamps other than by recycling or as hazardous waste. Send counts from your Pawtucket site and we reply with a written quote.
RIDEM says lamp crushing is not recycling and may be considered illegal treatment of hazardous waste. Whole lamps are the simpler path: they ship as universal waste and keep their mercury inside until the recycler captures it.
Rhode Island bans sale of new screw or bayonet base CFLs from January 1, 2024 and new pin-base CFLs and linear fluorescent lamps 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.
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.
Send rough counts and your ZIP. The written quote will confirm whether pickup or mail-back is available for that location.