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 Colchester, VT.
This page covers lamp recycling information for Colchester, VT; 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
Vermont rules
The Vermont lamp rules that apply in Colchester.
Colchester sits in Chittenden County, Vermont. These rows come from Vermont agency, statute or EPA pages we read; the federal baseline fills any gap.
| Topic | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Business lamps | No mercury-containing bulb may be trashed in Vermont; small businesses and institutions can recycle certain bulbs free at municipal and retail collection sites. | Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Mercury-Containing Light Bulbs Must... |
| Household lamps | Vermont households may not put any mercury-containing bulb in the trash; they can recycle bulbs free through the state's manufacturer-funded lamp program. | Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Mercury-Containing Light Bulbs Must... |
| Crushing lamps | Intentional crushing of mercury lamps is banned for universal waste handlers; drum-top crushing counts as treatment requiring certification under subchapter 5. | Vermont DEC, Vermont Hazardous Waste Management Regulations, Subchapter 9: Universal... |
| New lamp sales | Sale of four-foot general purpose linear fluorescent tubes is banned from January 1, 2024. Screw-base CFLs were restricted from February 17, 2023 and GU-24 CFLs from January 1, 2024. | Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Mercury-Containing Light Bulbs Must... |
| Batteries | Vermont's Primary Battery Stewardship Law (Act 139) bars producers from selling primary batteries unless they join an approved plan providing free collection and recycling. | Vermont DEC, Single-Use and Rechargeable Batteries |
| Universal waste | EPA's state table lists lamps in Vermont'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 | Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). | Vermont DEC, Vermont Hazardous Waste Management Regulations, Subchapter 9: Universal... |
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
How it works
Four steps from Colchester 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; Vermont 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.
Colchester questions
What Colchester facilities teams ask.
Can a business in Colchester put fluorescent tubes in the trash?
No mercury-containing bulb may be trashed in Vermont; small businesses and institutions can recycle certain bulbs free at municipal and retail collection sites. Send counts from your Colchester site and we reply with a written quote.
Can lamps be crushed in Vermont?
Intentional crushing of mercury lamps is banned for universal waste handlers; drum-top crushing counts as treatment requiring certification under subchapter 5. Whole lamps are the simpler path: they ship as universal waste and keep their mercury inside until the recycler captures it.
Is Vermont banning fluorescent tubes?
Sale of four-foot general purpose linear fluorescent tubes is banned from January 1, 2024. Screw-base CFLs were restricted from February 17, 2023 and GU-24 CFLs from January 1, 2024. 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 Colchester 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 Colchester.
Lamps waiting at a Colchester site?
Send rough counts and your ZIP. The written quote will confirm whether pickup or mail-back is available for that location.