Where to Donate a Chandelier and Throw Old Light Bulbs?

When I was recently buying a new chandelier, I didn’t know what to do with the old one. So after I did some research, I decided to share with you what I found.

So, where can you donate a chandelier? After research, I found out that the best way is to upcycle them and give a second life. The old chandelier can also be donated for a good cause. Social organizations use donated lamps for the rehabilitation of low-income homes.

Chandeliers and other lighting fixtures can be donated in social organizations or salvage shops.

Social organizations use donated lamps for the rehabilitation of low-income homes. If they work and are not damaged, you can also sell them online or in places like the garage sale.

Salvage shops often have a high demand for working chandeliers. You can donate a chandelier but also give light switches, switch covers, wiring, and other light fixtures.

On social sites like Facebook Marketplace, for example, there are often used chandeliers, floor lamps, and other similar light fixtures that are sold at a low price or given away for free.

Websites such as eBay or Amazon are also a great way to earn some money from your old lighting.

If the chandelier does not work or you want to give it to a good cause, then community organizations or salvage shops are the best way to donate your old chandelier and help those in need.

Where to Dispose of Old Chandeliers, Incandescent Light Bulbs, and Old Lamps?

In recent years, there has been increasing talk of environmental protection and ecological behavior.

Therefore, it is worth considering the proper segregation of old light bulbs, lamps, chandeliers, and other light fixtures.

Despite the basic knowledge about waste disposal and segregation, there is still a large percentage of people who throw away light bulbs and lamps together with other waste.

Such action is extremely harmful to the plants around us because it can even lead to the devastation of nature.

Used old chandeliers that we no longer use can be easily disposed of in a simple and uncomplicated way.

Just take them to the lamp shop where you can find all types of lighting.

This does not cost us a lot of money and is undoubtedly a better solution than throwing them away.

Traditional incandescent light bulbs can be thrown away with other waste because they are not considered hazardous factors.

However, when it comes to energy-saving light bulbs or fluorescent lamps, the situation is different because they have mercury that is not safe for us.

Remember to always separate fluorescent lamps and light bulbs to prevent them from breaking.

Fluorescent lamps should be stored in other, separate containers/boxes because they contain mercury, which undoubtedly does not have a good effect on our health.

Used light bulbs should be disposed of in specially marked containers, which are usually found in shops.

Be careful not to break the bulbs. It is also worth remembering that only this type of waste should be kept in containers together.

If, however, a bulb breaks, you should do something about it:

Ventilate the room
Put on protective gloves, collect the mercury in a disposable bag
wipe off the bruised area with a damp cloth

put the gloves and cloth in the bag together with the mercury and close securely
Wash your hands thoroughly
Take all the waste in the bag to a landfill or give it to a trash collection company

It is also worth remembering that hazardous waste is always marked with a special symbol – a crossed-out garbage can!

Proper and careful segregation and disposal of waste such as old bulbs and unwanted lamps can protect us from dangerous health consequences.

It also has a beneficial effect on the ecosystem without destroying nature.

Such pro-ecological behavior should be necessary for each of us because we all live among plants, so it is worth taking care of and trying to protect the environment.

All About the Disposal of Light Bulbs

The lifespan of each light source is limited. This is, of course, due to the possibility of the technologies used, which, despite continuous development, still do not allow the creation of a light bulb that will serve more than a few years.

The result is a common problem – where to throw away the light bulbs? This question is answered in the following text!

Why is it Important to Dispose of Light Bulbs Correctly?

For many years, every used light bulb has landed in a garbage can. There were two reasons for this:

Firstly, ordinary incandescent bulbs, which have been the primary source of light for many years, are relatively harmless to the environment. Therefore, they did not cause a risk to users.

Secondly, few people were concerned about environmental protection and recycling, which meant that other types of light bulbs, such as fluorescent lamps or discharge lamps, were thrown away together with other waste.

However, the fact that for many years, no one has bothered to ask where to throw away light bulbs does not mean to do the same today.

In this case, it is not only about impersonal ecology but also about your health and our loved ones.

Mercury and phosphorus, which are found in all kinds of fluorescent lamps, are, of course, the biggest threat.

The second important reason why light bulbs need to be disposed of properly is that they can be recycled, which in some cases reaches 90%.

Finally, it is worth adding that if ecology and safety are too little for someone to worry about, then legal sanctions may prove to be sufficiently important.

If you throw fluorescent lamps with normal waste, you may be fined!

Where to Dispose of Old Light Bulbs?

Speaking about the disposal of various types of light bulbs, we must not forget, however, that individual types of light bulbs require an individual approach.

Therefore, in the next three paragraphs, we describe in detail what to pay particular attention to in the case of old light bulbs, fluorescent lamps, and LEDs.

Where to Dispose of Ordinary Light Bulbs?

In theory, the least problems for users will be caused by ordinary incandescent bulbs, which, however, are slowly being removed from the market.

Due to their simple construction and the absence of hazardous components, they can be easily disposed of in conventional mixed waste containers – they are not suitable for plastic or glass containers.

At the same time, it is worth noting that we should be cautious in case of quite frequent cases of explosions or breakage of ordinary bulbs.

In such cases, in addition to large pieces of glass, many shreds are formed, which can be dangerous – especially for children.

Therefore, the place of the accident should always be thoroughly cleaned.

Disposal of Fluorescent Lamps

Disposal of all types of fluorescent lamps is much more demanding. As already mentioned, they contain mercury and other dangerous substances that can be dangerous to humans and animals, especially in the event of breakage or damage to glass enclosures.

Therefore, it is essential to know exactly how to handle used energy-saving light bulbs:

If the fluorescent lamp is burnt out, remove it and store it until disposal in such a way as to minimize the risk of damage. This type of light source can be returned in every shop with the purchase of a new bulb (ratio 1:1), disposed of in a special container for used fluorescent lamps, or taken to an electro-waste collection point.

In case of a broken fluorescent lamp – start by opening the windows and ventilating the room. Then it is necessary to wear rubber gloves and carefully collect the remains of glass and wipe the floor with a wet sponge or cloth. All collected trash, gloves, and rag should then be poured into a plastic bag and tied securely. This ”package” must then be delivered to the landfill place, indicating what it contains.

Proper handling of energy-saving light bulbs is important not only because of the danger of poisoning.

The possibility of recycling fluorescent lamps, which allow for reuse of the vast majority of materials used, is also very important, as long as the bulb itself has not been damaged.

Where to Dispose of LED Bulbs?

A little simpler is the situation when we want to get rid of old LED bulbs.

The difference is due to the design of the light source itself, which does not contain any hazardous substances.

Despite this, LED bulbs should not, in any case, be disposed of in the regular household waste.

So, where do you throw LED bulbs?

Their place is in special containers for this type of waste or collection point for electro-waste.

LEDs can also be left for exchange in the store, although in this case, you need to buy a new light bulb.

Again, it is worth remembering that the segregation of light-emitting diodes is very important for ecology. It allows for the effective recycling of light bulbs of this type.

LED Energy-saving Bulb – Saving Money and Protecting the Environment

By comparing the segregation rules for different types of light bulbs, it is easy to conclude that old bulbs were the best solution.

However, if you compare their parameters with fluorescent lamps or LEDs, it quickly turns out that their capabilities are simply incomparable.

Therefore, it is worth considering to equip the whole house with LED lighting, which is safer than fluorescent lamps, more durable and consumes less electricity.

All these factors leave more money in your wallets, and the environment will be able to breathe a sigh of relief!

Even though the proper disposal of light bulbs has been talked about for a good dozen or so years, many people still treat this problem not seriously.

Therefore, it is worth making sure that at least in your home and among your friends, there is a piece of common knowledge about where to dispose of energy-saving light bulbs, ordinary light bulbs, or other electro-waste.

In this way, we protect not only our health but also the future of our children!

Where to Throw Electro-Waste?

Electro-waste is the so-called WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment). We include every nonfunctioning electrical and electronic device, i.e., one that was plugged into a socket or had batteries.

So WEEE is an old phone in a drawer, a broken washing machine or fridge, or an outdated and unused laptop. It is also toys, gadgets, and used lamps and chandeliers.

WEEE is easily recognizable because all equipment has a crossed-out rubbish bin sign indicating that it is forbidden to throw such things.

We should not keep used equipment in the house, attic, or basement. This is a waste of valuable raw materials.

They must not be thrown away because it is dangerous for the environment.

The ban on throwing away electrical and electronic waste is indicated by the crossed-out container mark on electrical and electronic equipment.

Check the network of electro-waste collection points to find the nearest place where you can return your waste equipment.

We can return electro-waste in the shop when we buy a new device of the same type. We can also ask at the service station if he will not accept our old fridge if its repair is too expensive.