By SkySite Property staff
The Home Depot, the world's largest home improvement retailer, is
launching a national in-store recycling program for consumer compact
fluorescent light bulbs.
Customers can bring in any expired, unbroken CFL bulbs and give them to
store associates at all Home Depot stores. An environmental management
company will then package, transport and recycle the bulbs to maximize
safety and environmental compliance.
The program is an extension of The Home Depot's Eco Options program. Eco Options, launched in April 2007, is a classification that allows customers to easily identify products that have less of an impact on the environment.
"The CFL recycling program is another example of how The Home Depot is empowering customers to help make a difference in their own homes, and have less of an impact on the environment," said Ron Jarvis, senior vice president of Environmental Innovation. "With more than 75 percent of households located within 10 miles of a Home Depot store, this program is the first national solution to providing Americans with a convenient way to recycle CFLs."
If every American switched out one incandescent bulb to a CFL, it would prevent more than $600 million in annual energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from 800,000 cars, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The Home Depot sold more than 75 million CFLs in 2007, which saved Americans approximately $4.8 billion in energy costs and 51.8 billion pounds in CO2 greenhouse gases over the life of the bulbs.
Home Depot also launched an in-store energy conservation program to switch light fixture showrooms in U.S. stores from incandescent bulbs to CFLs by fall—a move that will save $16 million in annual energy costs.
Other environmental initiatives The Home Depot has implemented since the launch of Eco Options include:
- Store recycling program for shrink wrap and mixed plastics, which will result in 50 million pounds of waste diverted from landfills each year.
- Internal recycling initiative at corporate headquarters is projected to increase the amount of recycled materials from 30 percent to at least 65 percent.
- Renewed commitment to use transportation partners registered in SmartWay program and ensuring The Home Depot distribution facilities and stores further promote emission reduction.
