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Environment-friendliness and economy are the two main arguments in favor of environmental light bulbs as opposed to the traditional bulbs. The environmental bulbs are economical in several ways: they can be used up to ten times a longer time than the “normal” bulbs, and the amount of emanated warmth is smaller, therefore there is less air conditioning necessary, which is significant mostly for large offices. Another fact is that the environmental bulbs use only one-third of the energy usage of the traditional bulbs, which is good both for the environment and also your pocket.

Except for running a Toronto real estate agency, I’m always looking for ways to make my lifestyle a bit more Earth-friendly. When it comes to choosing which environmental light bulb to pick, you might get a bit confused by the wide selection in the shops. In the next paragraphs, we will present the most important points to help you choose the right bulb for you.

Mr. Bulb Right

These bulbs are made in all shapes and sizes so the best idea is to bring the traditional bulb you wish to change to the shop and match it with the available environmental bulbs. Be careful about the wattage – when replacing a traditional light bulb with the environmental one, you have to divide the wattage by four. So instead of a 60 watt traditional bulb, one 15 watt environmental bulb is sufficient. If you need a bulb for a dimmer light, make sure your new bulb works in these – it should be mentioned on the packaging.

The perfect spot for your new bulb

These environmental bulbs are not suitable for use in hot places with little air flow (recessed ceiling fixture). The bulb takes anything between one and three minutes to light up and doesn’t like to be turned on and off often. So the environmental bulbs are best to be used in rooms where the light usually stays on for at least 15 minutes, otherwise the bulb could get damaged too early.

How to dispose of environmental bulbs

Always recycle your bulbs at designated places. Among other materials, environmental bulbs are made of mercury, which is a dangerous heavy-metal. If you break a light bulb in your home, the mercury cannot be vacuumed. Do not touch with bare skin and first remove bigger pieces with a cardboard. Then apply some sticky tape to remove the remaining tiny bits and wipe the area with a wet cloth. It is also a good idea to open the window in the room for at least 15 minutes so that you prevent mercury poisoning.