maintenance matters serious threat to the health of people and wildlife even in places that are not obvious-ly polluted. According to the EPA, mercury in the air may settle into bodies of water and affect water quality. Airborne mercury can fall to the ground in the form of raindrops, dust or simply due to gravity. Once the mercury falls, it can end up in streams, lakes or estuaries where it can harm fish and other animals. As a responsible facility service provider, it’s critical to consider the ways in which you can prevent pollution of any kind, including mercury contamination. never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket. The EPA recommends taking full advan-tage of available local recycling options for CFLs. Currently, the EPA is working with CFL manufacturers and major U.S. retailers to expand recycling and disposal options. In the meantime, you can contact your local municipal solid waste agency or go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling to research recycling options in your area. CM Ray McLaughlin, president of McLaughlin Electric, implemented a free program for his clients that collects CFLs, HID lamps and flu-orescent lamps in the Maryland and DC areas and delivers them to recycling centers. Contact Ray at 410-242-3200 or ray@ mclaughlinelectric.com. Preventing mercury contamination Some counties, cities and states have outlawed throwing compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs into the trash. But, the EPA has yet to regulate it. The best way to reduce mercury contam-ination is to recycle CFL bulbs. Currently, there is not a national recy-cling program for spent CFLs. Keep in mind that curbside recycling isn’t effective because CFLs are too fragile and may break during pickup. Some companies provide CFL pickup and deliver the used bulbs to one of the three recycling centers in the country. It is suggested to put used CFLs in a sealed plastic bag and store them in a padded box away from the sales floor until you can find a convenient recycling pro-gram in your area. If you have a broken CFL bulb in your facility, please read the cleanup instruc-tions on Energy Star’s website. Have everyone leave the area and open a window if possible. Turn off central air conditioning or heat-ing and read the guidelines for proper cleanup. A world of good comes from properly disposing CFL bulbs or recycling them. If we continue to keep abreast of the dan-gers associated with the mercury found in CFL bulbs, then we can more intelligently combat the problem. Be cautious when removing the bulb from its packaging, installing it or replacing it. And, be sure to always screw and unscrew the bulb by its base, not the glass; Easy access to the hardest-working cleaning & maintenance products. Get the PRO STRENGTH of Zep® Professional products. Right from your authorized distributor. The Zep® name is synonymous with high-powered cleaning and maintenance products formulated for the toughest applications. Our Zep Professional products are hard to beat -but easy to access through distribution. The “Best in Class” Zep Professional product line keeps automation moving with top quality: t-VCSJDBOUT1FOFUSBOUT t*OEVTUSJBM%FHSFBTFST t(FOFSBM1VSQPTF$MFBOJOH t%JTJOGFDUBOUT t%SBJO$BSF t#BUISPPN$BSF t*OEVTUSJBM)BOE$BSF t'MPPS$BSF t(SPVOET#VJMEJOH.BJOUFOBODF t0EPS$POUSPM t7FIJDMF8BTI Since 1937, Zep’s focus has been to of er customers the best performing, highest quality cleaning, maintenance and sanitation products available – backed by world-class personal service and technical support. Get the brand the professionals know and trust -right from your authorized Zep Professional distributor. To learn more and to nd out how to order, call 1-877-7ZEPPRO (1-877-793-7776) or visit www.zepprofessional.com. Circle Product Information no. 201 on page 34 www.cmmonline.com 41
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