Clean air, clean water; two areas where we should all work together in order to provide a better, cleaner planet for future generations.  But there’s a growing threat most Ontario businesses seem to be unaware of and are contributing to on an alarming scale – pollution from mercury.

Millions of fluorescent lights seem are used by Ontario businesses each year.  Mercury is an important component in every fluorescent tube light that there is, and without mercury these lights wouldn’t work.  Unfortunately, mercury is poisonous and, because of continued improper disposal, it’s ending up in our water table and in the air, in the form of methylmercury.

[pullquote cite=”Recycling Council of Ontario” type=”left”]…this year over 9 million fluorescent tubes will be incorrectly disposed of and will end up in Ontario landfills.[/pullquote]This year the Recycling Council of Ontario estimates that this year over 9 million fluorescent tubes will be incorrectly disposed of and will end up in Ontario landfills.  A 4 foot long mercury-reduced fluorescent tube contains as much as 12mg of mercury while a standard 4-foot long fluorescent tube can contain up to 50mg of mercury.  Environment Canada has published proposed regulations that would limit the mercury content to no more than 5mg.

While the amount of mercury in each fluorescent tube is small the concern arises based on the cumulative effect of millions of tubes being sent to landfills each year.

When a fluorescent tube ends up in a landfill the glass breaks and the mercury inside it is released.   The mercury becomes part of leachate, the liquid that seeps to the bottom of the landfill.  Many steps are taken to collect and filter leachate but mercury cannot be removed and it is released into our waterways.

The anaerobic bacteria, in landfills, chemically modifies some of mercury into methylmercury, a highly toxic agent, which is released into the air in gas emissions.  Methyl mercury is a bio-accumulant, meaning it slowly builds up in concentration in living organisms and will keep on accumulating because of the inability to metabolize it.  This pollution has a definite effect on our food chain, particularly Ontario freshwater fish.  The growing awareness of methyl mercury releases from landfills is starting to cause concern across North America.

Fluorescent tube lighting is the norm for most businesses in Ontario, we see it everywhere.  Compared to older incandescent lighting it is energy efficient and definitely tends to have a longer lifespan.  However, fluorescent tubes rely on the excitement of mercury and gasses, within the tube, to create light.

[pullquote type=”left”]The Ontario government has taken notice … Environment Minister Glen Murray acknowledged that mercury from these bulbs is at risk of seeping into the environment. [/pullquote]The Ontario government has taken notice of the issue.  In January, Environment Minister Glen Murray acknowledged that mercury from these bulbs is at risk of seeping into the environment.  Murray announced that the province plans to update its waste diversion act and regulations by June.  In order to do this, they are looking to create greater consumer awareness and a “simplified” and more “consumer friendly” recycling system.  (In addition to the 9 million fluorescent tubes disposed of in Ontario landfills annually, an estimated 7.2 million CFL bulbs will end up in Ontario landfills this year.)

For the time being there are two steps that Ontario businesses can take to help keep this pollution at bay; recycling and replacement.

Many Ontario based electrical wholesale companies now offer a recycling program for old fluorescent tubes.  Call around and ask.  While there can be a small cost to their programs you will have the knowledge that 98% of the fluorescent tube materials are safely recycled and you are keeping toxic mercury out of our environment.

Another method is to permanently replace your fluorescent lighting with even more energy efficient LED lighting.  LED contains no mercury, gasses or other toxic pollutants.  LED replacements tend to save users over 50% on their hydro consumption while lasting much longer than fluorescent tubes.  The energy savings is important as it further cuts down the mercury emissions from our remaining coal-fired power plants (mercury is released into the environment when we burn coal).

There are many tremendous retrofit options available to Ontario businesses which can be quickly installed.  The Ontario Power Authority also offers rebates to help businesses with the cost and also help cut down the payback period.  Companies, such as Swantech Energy Solutions, act as Applicant Representatives and will look after all the OPA rebate paperwork for you. In some cases, businesses will see a return on their investment in months.  The long life span of LED replacements, high energy efficiency and current OPA rebates make LEDs an excellent investment given the continued rising cost of hydro in Ontario.

Whichever way you go, we all need to work together to reduce the amount of mercury that is currently ending up in Ontario landfills.  Please institute a responsible fluorescent recycling program at home and at work and let’s keep mercury out of our landfills.

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Last month the International Energy Agency reported that 2014 was ”the first time in 40 years in which there was a halt or reduction in emissions of the greenhouse gas that was not tied to an economic downturn.”  It looks like, globally, we’re finally turning the corner in the fight against global warming.

As the IEA looks toward forging a new global climate deal in Paris this December, their next Executive Director Fatih Birol announced that “For the first time, greenhouse gas emissions are decoupling from economic growth.”  While this is only the fourth time that CO2 emissions have flatlined or dropped from the previous year it is the first time this has not happened during a time of global economic weakness (early 1980’s, 1992 and 2009).

“For the first time, greenhouse gas emissions are decoupling from economic growth.” Global emissions of carbon dioxide stood at 32.3 billion tonnes in 2014, the same figure as 2013.  There is growing belief that the commitment and efforts to mitigate climate change may be starting to have a greater effect on reducing global emissions than had previously been thought.

Several factors have been pointed to as helping control last year’s carbon output, particularly the changing patterns of energy consumption in China and OECD countries.

In 2014 Chinese coal consumption fell by 2.9 percent, the first drop this century.  This was aided by an expansion in clean energy production and the shutting of their dirtiest power plants.  In addition, China is aggressively embracing greater energy efficiency, such as wide scale adoption of LED lighting technology.  China’s total CO2 emissions fell by 1 percent even as their economy grew by 7.4 percent.

Worldwide we’re seeing homes utilizing far more energy efficient fridges, stoves, lighting, and more.  Businesses are following suit with investments in energy efficiency.  This has lead to many countries beginning to see a decline in energy use on both a per capita basis but also in relation to GDP.

Cars are also continuing to be cleaner and more efficient while many countries are pricing carbon using economic forces to make it more costly to release into the atmosphere.  In North America there is a continued move away from coal-fired power generation and an increase in the investment in gas-fired electricity generation.

Globally we’re seeing more and more investment in power generation from renewable energy sources such as hydropower, solar and wind.

All of this has contributed to us finally seeing a decoupling in the relationship between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions.  “The latest data on emissions are indeed encouraging, but this is no time for complacency – and certainly not the time to use this positive news as an excuse to stall further action,” said IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven.

“The latest data on emissions are indeed encouraging, but this is no time for complacency – and certainly not the time to use this positive news as an excuse to stall further action,” Those thoughts are echoed by environmental watchdog organizations who remain concerned that emissions are still far too high.  There is a push toward a global warming limit of 2°C, but many observers believe that this will still be disastrous.  Currently, we’re on the course for a 6°C rise in global temperatures – a figure that has been deemed to be potentially catastrophic.  Many scientists are saying that a rise of 1°C is the highest we should allow.  Anything greater is projected to have a widespread negative impact on huge human populations and major planetary ecosystems.

We’re on the right track, but this is only the beginning.  Global warming presents a clear and present danger to our planet, evidenced in the changing weather patterns we’re seeing.  Energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and responsible energy consumption should be our goal at home and in business.  In 2014 we turned the corner with the decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.  Now, let’s all do our part to start driving emissions down and leaving a cleaner, better planet for future generations.

First things first – the Canadian Football League is great.  Secondly, this post isn’t about the Canadian Football League, it’s about our moral obligation to help the environment.

The CFL I’m talking about today is the Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb, the ones we see every day in homes and businesses.  The concern is; what happens when they fail, what are you doing with the dead CFLs, how are you disposing of them?

Let’s back up for a moment and talk about what CFLs are.  They’re energy efficient lightbulbs that first came on the scene about 25 years ago.  You know the ones, they’re curly.  They are small fluorescent lights that replaced incandescent bulbs and helped reduce energy consumption.

The concern with CFLs is what is inside the bulb and what happens when we throw them out.   The CFL tubes are filled with argon and mercury vapor.  When electricity is introduced, through the integrated ballast at the base of the bulb, to the vaporous mixture the gas molecules are excited.  This produces ultraviolet light which, in turn, stimulates the fluorescent coating on the inside of the tube.  As this coating becomes stimulated it emits visible light.

…it is estimated dumping CFL bulbs into landfills introduces 30,000 pounds of mercury into the environment annually.

Here’s where the concern is – CFLs contain mercury (this also holds true for fluorescent tubes) and we need to make sure that the mercury stays out of landfills and out of the environment.

While it is true that each CFL bulb contains only a small amount of mercury it is the cumulative effect of millions of bulbs being incorrectly disposed of that has the potential to cause harm to our environment.   In the US it is estimated dumping CFL bulbs into landfills introduces 30,000 pounds of mercury into the environment annually.  It takes only 4mg of mercury to contaminate 7,000 gallons of fresh water.  That means the mercury from US CFL disposals alone is enough to contaminate every lake, river and stream in North America.

So let’s extrapolate back to Canada, at one tenth the population, and estimate that we’re adding another 3,000 pounds of mercury into the environment each year.  In fact, the Recycling Council of Ontario estimates that over 7 million CFL bulbs will end up Ontario landfills this year. It’s time to step back and stop this.

Every recycled bulb leads to a cleaner environment and it is the cumulative effect of all the recycling that helps keep the mercury out of the environment and an environmental disaster at bay.

The first way to stop this is to start disposing of CFL bulbs at recycling centres.  Many major hardware retailers now collect and recycle CFL bulbs as a free service to their customers.  Call them and find out.   Early adopters of these programs are companies like Home Depot and IKEA. You can also call your municipal recycling centre or waste management centre and ask where you can recycle your old CFL bulbs.  Every recycled bulb leads to a cleaner environment and it is the cumulative effect of all the recycling that helps keep the mercury out of the environment and an environmental disaster at bay.

After your old bulb burns out replace it with an environmentally friendly LED bulb.  LEDs contain no mercury or other toxins, consume less energy, do not emit UV light, do not flicker and hum, and will last far longer than your old CFLs.  As a side note, I always urge people to only choose Energy Star rated LEDs as these have all been third party tested for efficiency and longevity.

Now, what happens if you break a CFL bulb?  Remember, they have mercury vapour and argon inside.  Follow these steps to ensure a good cleanup with low environmental impact.

1. Turn off your heating and cooling system so the fumes and gasses do not move freely throughout your home or office.
2. Open a window for a minimum of 15 minutes to allow the room to properly ventilate.
3. Put gloves on so you don’t touch any of the mercury powder. Using a piece of cardboard to scoop up the larger pieces of glass.
4. Use tape, such as packing tape or duct tape to pick up the remaining smaller pieces of glass. Make sure all of the pieces, tape and cardboard are put in a plastic bag.  NEVER use a vacuum for cleanup.
5. Using a damp paper towel wipe up the area. Place the damp paper towel in the plastic bag and seal the bag.

I’d suggest calling your municipality for advice on how to dispose of the remnants of the bulb.  Over time, with awareness, we expect to see collection centres accept this material.  Until then they may advise you to dispose of it in the garbage.

Remember, it’s the cumulative effect of all those fluorescent products ending up in the landfill that has the potential to cause major environmental damage.  Let’s all be responsible, help the environment and dispose of CFL bulbs properly.