THE PROBLEM: Pauline Altman wanted to do right by the environment by offering to collect burned-out fluorescent lights from residents of her Hillcrest high-rise condominium building.
Altman figured she could gather up a lot of energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs that many green-minded types have used to replace incandescent lights. She planned to take them all to the city of San Diego's Household Hazardous Waste facility on Convoy Street, near the entrance to the Miramar landfill.
Compact fluorescent lights are considered hazardous materials because the glass tubing contains a very small amount of mercury, which the city wants to keep out of its landfill. They're not supposed to be thrown into regular trash containers, but Altman figures there are a lot of people who either aren't aware of the ban or simply don't have the time or inclination to drive to Miramar to dispose of one bulb – hence her offer to round them up.
When she called ahead for additional information, though, Altman said someone “told me I couldn't do it” – that she could bring only her own, personal bulbs. It didn't sound quite right to her ...
STATUS: ... and it wasn't.
Altman did not get the name of the person who told her she couldn't drop off bulbs for other people, but it either was a misunderstanding or perhaps came from the wrong office.
Jose Ysea, public information officer for the Environmental Services Department, said residents may drop off up to 25 fluorescent light bulbs at the Miramar facility as long as they're not doing so on behalf of businesses (which are supposed to handle their own disposal).
The city will even make exceptions to the 25-bulb rule on a “case-by-case basis,” Ysea said.
The facility, off state Route 52, is open to San Diego residents from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays only (holidays excluded). Call for an appointment at (858) 694-7000. For more information, go to sandiego.gov/environmentalservices/miramar/hhwtransfac.shtml
Additionally, The Home Depot announced this year that it accepts unbroken compact fluorescent bulbs for recycling at all stores.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Nora Varner, project manager for the Household Hazardous Waste facility, who can be reached at (858) 694-7000 or sdrecyclingworks@sandiego.gov for questions about hazardous waste disposal.
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