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DTSC Commends The Home Depot National Used Compact Fluorescent Lights

California Department of Toxic Substances Control Commends The Home Depot National Used Compact Fluorescent Lights Collection Program

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) commends the efforts of The Home Depot for collecting and recycling used compact fluorescent lights at all of its 1,973 locations, 115 of which are in California. On June 24, the company announced that the latest demonstration of its commitment to the environment and sustainability was to expand its free collection of end-of-life compact fluorescent tubes (CFLs) to its stores nationwide.

"This CFL take-back program reflects the goals of the California Take It Back! Partnership and some of the recommendations of the AB 1109 Lighting Task Force by providing free, local and convenient locations for California residents to recycle end-of-life CFLs. We hope other retailers that sell CFLs will model themselves after the program initiated by Home Depot." stated DTSC Chief Deputy Director Leonard Robinson, who also serves as Chair of the AB 1109 Lighting Task Force.

"The Home Depot used CFL collection program combines the messages of energy efficiency and environmental protection into one unified message for California residents," Robinson added. Since February 2006, state law has prohibited the disposal of Universal Waste such as used fluorescent lights in residential trash.

The AB 1109 Lighting Task Force is charged with providing recommendations to the legislature by September 1st for the labeling, designation, education, outreach, collection, and recycling of end-of-life fluorescent lights for California residents.

For more information about the AB 1109 Task Force, its members, and the Take It Back! Partnership, visit DTSC's home page www.dtsc.ca.gov (underneath the middle "Information For" box for the Task Force, and the Take It Back! logo on the left of that, respectively).