Shopper's Guide to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Resolving to save money? And the planet? Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs promise a win-win: according to the industry and U.S. government's Energy Star program, which promotes CFL bulbs and other substitutes for energy-hogging incandescents, a CFL uses 75 percent less energy than its incandescent counterpart, lasts up to 10 times longer and prevents more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Over its lifetime, a single CFL can save the consumer $80 or more, depending on local electric rates.

But all CFL bulbs aren't equal. Some have lower mercury content than others, and some last much longer. Unfortunately, you can't tell the best of the best by their labels - or the U.S. government Energy Star logo. Some Energy Star labelled bulbs could not be legally sold in Europe due to excessive mercury content.

An Environmental Working Group investigation has identified 7 bulb lines made by Earthmate, Litetronics, Sylvania, Feit, MaxLite and Philips that trump the rest. These bulbs, listed in our Green Lighting Guide contain a fraction of the toxic mercury allowed by Energy Star, reducing the mercury contamination from a broken bulb. All last 8-15,000 hours, dramatically longer than the Energy Star standard of 6,000 hours, and also offer high efficiency.

President Obama says his energy strategy and economic stimulus plan will focus on moving toward use of CFLs and other energy-efficient lighting sources. "We can save huge amounts of energy costs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil by simple things like weatherization and changing the lighting in major buildings," Obama said on Meet the Press Dec. 6. "That's going to be part of our economic recovery plan. It actually allows us to spend some money, put some people to work right away, but it also creates a long- term, sustainable energy future."

CFL use in U.S. households has reached a new high: 1 bulb in 4 sold in the 3rd quarter of 2008 was a CFL.

The trend toward CFL use is welcome. But Energy Star and its parent agencies -- the Department of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-- have not adequately addressed the risks of mercury in CFL bulbs.

Launched in 1982 as an energy-efficiency rating system, Energy Star has driven development of energy-saving appliances and consumer products. But under the Bush administration, Energy Star drifted to the rear, becoming a passive partner of the electrical industry. EWG's best bulbs carry the Energy Star logo - but so do a lot of average and even sub-par bulbs. The program deploys a trailing-edge incentive structure that rewards stragglers as handsomely as innovators.

The Obama administration must reinvigorate Energy Star, using its marketing cachet and other incentives to push low-toxin energy efficiency in lighting. Stricter mercury standards for CFL bulbs could encourage wary consumers to buy more of them and speed the transition away from wasteful incandescent bulbs. EWG recommends:

• Lowering the maximum mercury content in each CFL bulb to 3 miligrams (mg). This measure would save 225 pounds of mercury for every 100 million bulbs.


• Creating a tiered ("Platinum," "Gold," "Silver") rating system to reward creative companies that produce the highest efficiency, longest-lived bulbs with the lowest mercury content.


• Updating minimum requirements every 2 years instead of every 5 years, to take advantage of rapidly changing technology and fierce competition among bulb makers vying for bigger shares of the green-products market.


• Adopt an independently verifiable mercury content limit for CFL bulbs. Energy Star requires only that the manufacturers file a statement about bulb mercury content with the National Electrical Manufacturers Association.

Energy Star updates: Too little, too late

Energy Star's 2008 standards, unveiled last March as a replacement for 2003 specifications, proposed to ratchet up energy efficiency requirements, tighten other performance measures and, for the first time, set a cap on bulb mercury content.

The 2008 specs were scheduled to take effect December 2nd. But in mid-October, DOE officials made a concession to industry officials because of the souring economy: they postponed the 2008 standards for a 6-month "grace period" to July 1, 2009, so that the U.S. inventory of about 100 million bulbs fabricated under 2003 specs could be sold off. EWG research shows that 1 in 3 can't meet 2008 standards for efficiency and life span.

Even when Energy Star's 2008 standards become effective next July, they will leave consumers in the dark about several key facts about CFL mercury content:

• Product labels must disclose that the bulbs contain mercury -- but not how much. Consumers have a right to know exactly how much mercury is in various brands.


• Energy Star's 5 mg mercury cap is twice as high as necessary. In March 2007, in an effort to blunt consumer concerns about mercury, a potent neurotoxin, members of the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) issued a voluntary "commitment" to their customers to limit mercury content in most CFL bulbs to 5 mg. A year later, Energy Star adopted the 5 mg cap as its own. Meanwhile, however, manufacturers aware of consumer concerns were competing to lower bulb mercury content. EPA and NEMA estimate the industry-wide average is between 3 and 4 mg. EWG's best bulbs contain just 1 to 2.7 mg of mercury. The 5 mg cap is virtually obsolete now; putting it into effect next July is pointless.


• Some U.S. bulbs that proudly bear the Energy Star seal of approval can't be legally sold in Europe, where the European Union has capped mercury content at 4 mg per bulb for CFLs. Under the new Energy Star criteria, bulbs larger than 25 watts can contain up to 6 mg of mercury.

EWG believes that CFL bulbs are a promising technology to reduce energy consumption and pollution associated with it. Mercury pollution from broken bulbs is offset, and more, by larger gains from energy conservation. Coal-fired electrical plants are a major source of mercury emissions, totaling 104 tons of mercury across the U.S. annually. Energy Star calculates that each CFL bulb generates 70 percent less mercury pollution than a comparable incandescent bulb.

But at present, only a handful of bulb makers offer truly superior products with high efficiency, longevity and mercury content of 1 to 2.7 mg -- about a quarter to a half of the Energy Star mercury cap.

The Obama Administration should award the Energy Star logo far more selectively, as a carrot to speed research and development on the next generation of CFLs and other alternatives to incandescent bulbs that, according to DOE, convert 90 percent of the energy they consume to heat.

Green Lighting Guide

EWG's Green Lighting Guide highlights the best CFLs, lists those Energy Star stamped bulbs that don't meet the most modern standards and helps you use CFL bulbs safely in your home.

The risks of mercury exposure from broken CFL bulbs are real. Cleaning up a shattered CFL bulb requires special precautions. Spent bulbs should be recycled, not tossed in the trash.

Bear in mind that some people are more sensitive than others to the quality and intensity of light. Light from CFLs varies considerably from brand to brand and across wattages. Early generation and cheaper bulbs glow bluish or greenish. The best bulbs are easiest on the eyes because they give off warmer, more natural light. Experiment before committing to a wholesale retrofit of your current home lighting.

CFLs are not appropriate for every place in your home. Follow our Green Lighting Guide to find the best locations for them and to find alternatives for spots where CFLs are inadvisable. If you break a CFL bulb, our clean-up tips will drastically limit your family's exposure.

Green Guide Checklist

START with the fixtures you use most. Choose CFLs for locations where breakage is rare - for instance, for ceiling fixtures rather than table lamps in high traffic areas or clip lamps.

BUY a few test bulbs of several brands and try them out in different areas. With standard use, CFLs will last a long time -- all the more reason to make sure that as you consult the EWG guide, you and your family are comfortable with their quality of light.

BUY CFLs bulbs with the lowest mercury content. The Energy Star logo is not a good indicator of low mercury bulbs. 

CHOOSE the best bulb for the job. Some CFLs take several minutes before they reach full brightness and efficiency -- a safety risk for hallways/stairs and a nuisance in closets. For these fixtures, look for CFLs with "instant on" technology or consider investing in LED (light emitting diodes) technology.DON'T use CFLs where mercury exposure is unacceptable or cleanup is difficult --- children's rooms, playrooms, recreation rooms, workbenches and near irreplaceable rugs and furniture.

USE mercury-free bulbs such as LED (light emitting diodes) or halogen energy savers where CFLs aren't ideal or breakages are likely.

Other Green Lighting Choices

Light Emitting Diodes (LED) Use LEDs when low light is enough. For task lights, reading lamps, night lights, candles, flashlights, refrigerators, stoves, closets, Christmas lights and outdoor lighting, these cool, bluish lights are smart and safe. The downside: LED lights cost more than CFL lights, but the cost and performance of these bulbs are improving.

Halogen energy savers Halogen energy saver bulbs are a new product that offers halogen technology’s high light output in a familiar incandescent bulb shape. They contain no mercury but are inefficient and hot, posing fire risks in some locations. These halogens use 30 percent less energy that comparable incandescent bulbs. A 70-watt halogen is as bright as a 100-watt incandescent bulb; a 40-watt halogen is comparable to a 60-watt incandescent bulb.

CFL Pros and Cons

CFLs clearly save energy and money. 

Breaking a CFL bulb releases mercury vapor hazardous to humans and pets. Mercury levels in the air can be quite high for the hour after a bulb breaks. Eventually, most will disperse -- especially if a window is left open. Some mercury vapor will liquefy into tiny beads that settle on surfaces. Wood floors can be cleaned thoroughly and will most likely be mercury-free within 4 days. Carpets and fabric are harder to clean. Low mercury CFLs cut the risks posed by a broken bulb.

Cleaning up broken CFL bulbs

If a bulb breaks in your home, proper clean-up procedures can reduce airborne mercury concentrations by roughly half. Follow EWG's 10 step clean-up checklist. The most critical steps:

• Keep children and pregnant or nursing women away from the contaminated area.
• Close doors and open windows to allow volatile mercury vapors to vent outdoors. Stay away for 5 to 15 minutes.
• Scoop up bulb fragments and use tape to collect tiny particles. Seal the waste in a glass jar with screw-top lid.

Disposing of spent CFL bulbs Each state has its own laws and regulations for recycling or disposing of spent CFL bulbs. Learn about your state's recycling and disposal options at this EPA lightbulb site www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling. Also, Earth911.com, a nationwide recycling information site, lists retailers like Ace Hardware, Home Depot and IKEA and municipal programs that accept burnt-out CFLs.

When a Bulb Breaks

CFLs can be smart choices. Just be careful.

1. Isolate the site.

Get everyone out of the area. Open windows, leave the room, and close the door behind you. Turn off the heating or cooling system. Children and pregnant or nursing mothers should not return until cleanup is complete.

2. Air out the room for 5 to 15 minutes.

Give mercury vapor time to disperse and settle into tiny dust-like beads. Don't wait longer: mercury spreads easily.

3. Don safety gear.

Wear rubber gloves, safety (or other) glasses, work clothes and a dust mask or face covering when cleaning up the broken bulb.

4. Put large bulb pieces and other waste in a large glass jar with a screw-on metal lid, such as a Mason jar.

Scoop up glass fragments and dust with stiff paper or cardboard and deposit in the jar. Pat the area with sticky tape to collect tiny splinters and dust, then wipe with a damp cloth, baby wipe or moist paper towels. (Second choice: a plastic jar with a screw-on lid.)

5. Seal up the waste.

Put paper, cardboard, tape and wipes in the jar and close the lid. Throw away any contaminated fabrics, like clothing or bedding, that have come into direct contact with bulb fragments.

6. If a bulb breaks on a rug or carpeting:

Fabrics are harder to clean than hard surfaces; removing all mercury may be impossible. Hang a CFL-contaminated rug outside. Experts disagree on whether to vacuum carpeting. EPA recommends doing so and cleaning the vacuum afterward. Scientists with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection disagree: after testing various CLF cleanup scenarios [http://maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflreport.htm], they concluded that vacuuming can spread mercury vapor and permanently contaminate the vacuum. Keep infants, children and women of childbearing age away from the carpeting for several weeks.

7. Wash up.

The clothes you wore to clean up the breakage can be washed unless they made direct contact with the broken bulb or dust. Wipe your shoes with wet wipes or a moist paper towel, then add the wipes to the waste jar. Wash your hands and face.

8. Follow your state's disposal rules.

Use EPA's website to find the nearest location for disposal of household hazardous waste www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling If no facilities exist it may be legal to send well-packaged waste to your local landfill. http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/hazard/wastetypes/universal/lamps/index.htm

9. Ventilate the room for several more hours.

Next time you clean the area: Turn off heating or cooling systems, close the room's doors and open the windows before vacuuming. Leave doors closed and heating or cooling off for 15 minutes post-vacuuming. Follow this regime for several cleanings. We adapted our recommendations from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection study (http://maine.gov/dep/rwm/homeowner/cflreport/appendixe.pdf). Thermometers, thermostats and silent switches made with mercury contain more toxic material and pose a much greater health risk. If one of these items breaks, read EPA's clean-up instructions at: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/spills/index.htm#thermometer

Buyer Beware

More than 3,000 light bulbs qualify for the Energy Star logo under current standards,issued in 2003. But 1,100 of these bulbs do not meet the 2008 Energy Star standards for energy efficiency. The reason: the Department of Energy has postponed the effective date of the 2008 standards to July 1, 2009, giving the bulb industry a 6-month "grace period," to sell a 100 million bulb inventory that has backed up because of the economic slowdown.

Bulbs with the Energy Star logo that fail 2008 standards

* Source: EWG analysis of Energy Star qualified bulbs listed on http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls [accessed December 4, 2008] and the company declarations from NEMA's Voluntary Commitment on Mercury in Compact Fluorescent Lights http://www.nema.org/gov/env_conscious_design/lamps/cfl-mercury.cfm [accessed December 4, 2008]