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The Do the Light Switch campaign (pdf)
CFL FAQs and their safe handling (pdf) |
Question: Why are you sending me light bulbs in the mail?
Answer: The CFL (Compact Florescent Light) effort is a statewide initiative by the 20 consumer-owned cooperatives in South Carolina to distribute seven million CFLs to co-op members over 10 years. Called “Do the Light Switch,” the project is part of a larger effort by the co-ops to help members use energy efficiently and, in doing so, protect the environment.
The CFL giveaway follows cooperative-commissioned studies of the best options in renewable resources and energy efficiency. The energy efficient bulbs use a fraction of the electricity required by a standard, incandescent bulb to emit the same amount of light.
The study shows that promoting the use of CFLs is the most effective, quickest way to benefit the environment and hold down members’ power costs. It helps offset the need for future power generation, if enough CFLs replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs.
"Do the Light Switch" illuminates our commitment to energy conservation.
Question: My neighbor got their mailing yesterday, but I didn’t get mine.
Answer: Packages of two CFLs will be delivered throughout the month of June. There are a limited number that each postal worker can carry each day, so yours may not come at the same time as someone else in your neighborhood.
IF your package is not delivered by the end of June, please give us a call.*
*For employees only…The final mailing list of our residential customers was sent to the distribution center in late February. Members who have come on line since then may not be on the mailing list. We have a number of CFL’s left over left over from the annual meeting, so members who are new members since February can come by and get two at any of our office locations.
Question: One of my bulbs was broken when it was delivered. Can I get a replacement?
Answer: We will receive a small shipment of bulbs from the manufacturer. Members can come by one of our offices and get a replacement. Please note that the bulbs being mailed are one-75 watt and one-100 watt. They will need to know which one they need to replace.
Question: What should I do if a CFL breaks?
Answer: Clean up doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. The EPA’s recommendations for cleaning up a spill are that (1) you immediately open windows to reduce mercury concentrations inside your home, (2) you do not touch the spilled mercury, (3) you clean up the broken CFL glass carefully and immediately (but not with your hands or a vacuum cleaner), and (4) you wipe the affected area with a paper towel to remove all glass fragments and mercury.
Question: How do I dispose of a CFL when it burns out?
Answer: CFLs should be recycled though a household waste collection program. To find the nearest CFL recycling location, you can call the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control at 1-800-768-7348. Additionally, each South Carolina electric cooperative office will accept CFLs for recycling as part of the “Do the Light Switch” campaign.* If recycling does not yet exist in your area, you can lawfully dispose of the bulbs in your household garbage. To reduce the risk of exposure, wrap the bulb in a sealed plastic bag before discarding it.
*We have a recycling bucket for each office that will hold about 90 bulbs. Members can dispose of their bulb with us. |
Do the Light Switch