What to do with removed ballasts and tubes?

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LarryFine

LarryFine

Master Electrician Electric Contractor Richmond VA
Location
Henrico County, VA
Occupation
Electrical Contractor
I just finished replacing ballasts and tubes in 85 2x4' three-tube fluorescent lights in a day-care center with direct-wire LED tubes. More than half were still fitted with T-12s, with one two-tube and one one-tube ballast, and the rest had been converted to T-8s.

So, right now I have a mix of T-8 and T-12 tubes, 255 in total. Most of them are still in good condition, especially the T-8 tubes. I was thinking of hanging onto the T-8 ballasts, and maybe the best of the T-8 tubes, but nobody wants to hang onto the T-12s.

So, what is the best way to dispose of the T-12 ballasts and tubes, with best here meaning cheapest, or even slightly profitable? Do metal recyclers pay for magnetic ballasts?
 
Here, Lowes will take the old tubes for disposal, not sure about the ballasts. You might contact your local salvage yard and ask about the ballast.
 
We have a moderate brisk waste facility that takes non resi waste by appointment for a fee. wholesale houses May have prepaid boxes for shipping
 
As I understand that the landfills around here will not take fluorescent tubes, but broken fluorescent tubes are okay.

Just like they will not take cans of paint. But they will take newspaper that has had paint put out on it to dry along with the empty crushed cans of paint.
 
petersonra said:
As I understand that the landfills around here will not take fluorescent tubes, but broken fluorescent tubes are okay.

Just like they will not take cans of paint. But they will take newspaper that has had paint put out on it to dry along with the empty crushed cans of paint.
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always a way to make it work
 
Cheapest way to get rid of all of it is just throw it in the dumpster.

There's absolutely zero chance of making a profit.
The time you spend will devour any little bit of money you could ever make
 
James L said:
Cheapest way to get rid of all of it is just throw it in the dumpster.

There's absolutely zero chance of making a profit.
The time you spend will devour any little bit of money you could ever make
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Well, they're in my car trunk now, and I have to do something with them. I saw one place show $ .20/lb for them.

If I have to drive somewhere to dump them, it might as well be to a place that will pay for my gas to get there.
 
LarryFine said:
I just finished replacing ballasts and tubes in 85 2x4' three-tube fluorescent lights in a day-care center with direct-wire LED tubes. More than half were still fitted with T-12s, with one two-tube and one one-tube ballast, and the rest had been converted to T-8s.

So, right now I have a mix of T-8 and T-12 tubes, 255 in total. Most of them are still in good condition, especially the T-8 tubes. I was thinking of hanging onto the T-8 ballasts, and maybe the best of the T-8 tubes, but nobody wants to hang onto the T-12s.

So, what is the best way to dispose of the T-12 ballasts and tubes, with best here meaning cheapest, or even slightly profitable? Do metal recyclers pay for magnetic ballasts?
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I think the ballasts are about .08 per LB around here.
Not much money, but at least you get $8 to throw them away.(100 lbs)
 
petersonra said:
As I understand that the landfills around here will not take fluorescent tubes, but broken fluorescent tubes are okay.
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Grainger (and others) sell a motorized device that sits on a 55 gal drum. It kind of looks like a small brush chipper and as you feed tubes into it, it creates lots of broken glass. That's why the broken glass is OK.


I hear a hammer works well too for a lot less money.

-Hal
 
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In California it is against the law to deposit Hazardous Wates in the trash including florescent lamps and ballasts. I have always had to pay to properly depose of Hazardous Waste.
 
I know someone with a semi trailer full of lamps he doesn’t know what to do with.. we bought a bulb crusher that mounts on 55 gallon drum. Then when I fill up 4 barrels a recycling company picks them up. I think its called terracycle. They also will send you a box that you can return full of lamps. Ballast we usually leave in the fixture.
 
LT Sparky said:
I know someone with a semi trailer full of lamps he doesn’t know what to do with.. we bought a bulb crusher that mounts on 55 gallon drum. Then when I fill up 4 barrels a recycling company picks them up. I think its called terracycle. They also will send you a box that you can return full of lamps. Ballast we usually leave in the fixture.
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I commend you for protecting the environment ...
 
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