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 Milwaukee, WI.
This page covers lamp recycling information for Milwaukee, WI; 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
Wisconsin rules
The Wisconsin lamp rules that apply in Milwaukee.
Milwaukee sits in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. These rows come from Wisconsin agency, statute or EPA pages we read; the federal baseline fills any gap.
| Topic | What applies | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Business lamps | Wisconsin businesses label universal waste lamp containers, remove lamps within one year, and ship them to a universal waste handler, destination facility, or licensed TSDF. | Wisconsin DNR, How To Handle Universal Waste: Lamps (WA-1810, revised 2025) |
| Household lamps | Household waste lamps put in regular trash are exempt from Wisconsin hazardous waste rules, though residents are encouraged to recycle them. | Wisconsin DNR, Lamp and Bulb Management (PUB-WA-195, September 2015) |
| Crushing lamps | Universal waste lamps may not be intentionally broken or crushed; DNR and DHS also strongly discourage drum-top lamp crushers. | Wisconsin DNR, How To Handle Universal Waste: Lamps (WA-1810, revised 2025) |
| Universal waste | EPA's state table lists lamps in Wisconsin'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 | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). | Wisconsin DNR, Management of universal waste in Wisconsin |
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 Milwaukee.
MMSD Home HazMat Collection, Milwaukee County
MMSD's Home HazMat sites in Milwaukee County take compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes, with a limit of 20 bulbs per visit. It accepts only household or apartment waste, so no businesses, schools or government agencies.
Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Home Haz Mat Collection
Milwaukee commercial energy benchmarking ordinance
Milwaukee's energy benchmarking ordinance, effective July 2024, requires owners of commercial buildings of 50,000 square feet or more to report energy use each year in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
City of Milwaukee Common Council, File 240297, energy benchmarking ordinance
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 Milwaukee 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; Wisconsin 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.
Milwaukee questions
What Milwaukee facilities teams ask.
Can a business in Milwaukee put fluorescent tubes in the trash?
Wisconsin businesses label universal waste lamp containers, remove lamps within one year, and ship them to a universal waste handler, destination facility, or licensed TSDF. Send counts from your Milwaukee site and we reply with a written quote.
Can lamps be crushed in Wisconsin?
Universal waste lamps may not be intentionally broken or crushed; DNR and DHS also strongly discourage drum-top lamp crushers. Whole lamps are the simpler path: they ship as universal waste and keep their mercury inside until the recycler captures it.
How much does lamp recycling cost in Milwaukee?
We reply with a written quote based on your counts and ZIP code. Public contracts price lamps by the foot, by the lamp or by the pound, often with a minimum charge per pickup. Our pricing page explains each unit.
Can you collect from a Milwaukee 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 Milwaukee.
Lamps waiting at a Milwaukee site?
Send rough counts and your ZIP. The written quote will confirm whether pickup or mail-back is available for that location.