Meet the Bulb Eater
Here’s an option for safe disposal of fluorescent tubes
"The Bulb Eater," as shown on the Air Cycle company's Web site
Looking for an environmentally friendly way to dispose of fluorescent tubes? Apple City Electric in Wenatchee has a “Bulb Eater” that crunches used tubes into a sealed 55-gallon drum for environmentally responsible disposal. Apple City charges 20 cents per foot of fluorescent tube plus $1 per ballast for the recycling service, said the company’s Kay Williams.
Disposal is handled by the Air Cycle Corporation of Broadview, Ill. A freight truck picks up the crunched bulbs when notified, Williams said. “We’ve had a couple of pick-ups from doing a big retrofit on a commercial building,” she said. “Before the lamp-gobbler, we had to box up all those bulbs and get them ready for shipping.”
Apple City Electric can also recycle HDI (heavy duty illumination) lamps for $2 apiece.
Apple City Electric is located at 326 N. Wenatchee Ave., phone (509) 663-2681.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs used in homes can be recycled at PUD offices in Wenatchee, Leavenworth or Chelan, or at Home Depot in Wenatchee.
