BRC Hazardous Materials Recycling Guide final · Handling CFL and Mercury materials when adding or removing from recycling containers; When handling CFL’s and Mercury, the following

BRC Hazardous Materials Recycling Guide

06/2013

Purpose:

We are the Positive Impact People and recycling hazardous materials in a responsible manner is

just one more way we can all make a difference. The Hazardous Materials Recycling Guide

(HMR Guide) will cover care and disposal of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL), Florescent,

Mercury, Ballasts, and Dry Cell Battery products. Compliance with this program will ensure

resident and employee safety when handling and disposing of any of the above items which in

turn will eliminate these items from our landfills and air/atmosphere ensuring a healthier

environment.

Obtaining the required recycling containers:

BRC requires use of Veolia Recycling containers which should be ordered through HD Supply. All

containers come with a return shipping label. These labels need to be secured or affixed to the

recycling containers at the time the container is received. Use the paperwork that comes

attached to the container for record keeping. It is very important that the date of the first bulb

or product be written on the container and in the appropriate box on the shipping label. We

also suggest the same date be placed on the container in permanent marker.

Figure 1 ‐ Location of first use date on shipping label


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BRC requires that properties purchase containers to recycle each of the following items. Not

all items are applicable to all properties.

CFLs – Recommend medium 40‐90 CFL’s (supply – 068) price $71.00 150 and 250 CFL

containers also available

Florescent Tubes – Recommend medium 30T12/60T8 (supply – 043) price $68.76

Dry Cell batteries – Recommend X‐Large 55lbs container (supply ‐ 041) price $115.56

Mercury (T‐stats) – Recommend medium 13lbs container (supply – 066) price $72.58

Ballasts – Recommend medium 66lbs container (supply – 040) price $115.56

Storing Containers;

Service Managers should create a designated area in the maintenance shop so that all recycling

store containers are stored together in one area. If space allows, it would be a good idea to

have a small CFL container in the office for residents that wish to drop off bulbs.

Containers need to be kept tightly sealed with lids and safety lining bags when not in use. In the

cardboard containers, the liner bag should be closed and a piece of tape should be placed on

the lid/flaps to keep container closed.

Handling CFL and Mercury materials when adding or removing from recycling containers;

When handling CFL’s and Mercury, the following Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is

required. Service Managers should ensure that these items are readily available to associates

who handle CFLs and Mercury. These items should be ordered from HD Supply.

Gloves – 14” gauntlet cuff anti‐cut chemical resistant (HDS item # 118326)

Safety Face Shield with clear lens – meets OSHA regulation (HDS item # 128481)

N95 Particulate Respirator – sold by the package (HDS item # 129325)

Be sure not to shake or disturb contents when adding new items to the containers to prevent

mercury dust particulate from escaping.


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Never handle CFL bulbs or mercury products if you have any type of open wound, regardless of

the severity of the wound.

Do not intentionally break CFL bulbs or any other product that is stored in each container to

minimize risk of exposure. The perceived space savings is not worth the exposure risk!

Do not exceed the listed capacity requirements for each type container.

You should write bulb or item count on the boxes as items are added to eliminate the

possibilities of contamination or spillage due to removing items from containers to be counted.

When to ship back the containers;

When recycling containers reach capacity (or one year from first product placement date –

whichever comes first), the containers must be shipped back to Veolia Recycling using the

return address shipping label that came with the container. Note: All return shipping labels are

prepaid! Do not lose the labels!

Figure 2 ‐ Ship / Open Label on Pail or Box


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Documentation for Shipping Label;

Complete “From’ section on label

Figure 3 ‐ "From" Section on Label

Complete Label – ensure to check the correct content and verify accumulation start date.

Figure 4 ‐ Completed Label


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Apply appropriate color coded return address label – see example below

Figure 5 ‐ Color Coded Return Address Label


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Retain Proof of Purchase – Enter the container tracking number at www.myrecyclepak.com to

generate a recycling certificate for that container. The certificate should be uploaded to your

property’s workspace on WorkZone (Property Files > Risk Management > Hazardous Materials

Recycling Documents).

Figure 6 ‐ Proof of Purchase portion of Label ‐ Keep for Records

Record Keeping;


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Upon receiving the returned containers Veolia will issue a “Certificate of Acceptance” For

Recycling and/ or Disposal of the contents. This is the official record of participation in the

program as well as a detailed record of the items/material recycled. These records should be

kept for a minimum of 10 years.

Figure 7 ‐ Certificate of Acceptance

WHEN A CFL BULB BREAKS

Why is it important to clean up a broken CFL properly?

CFLs and other fluorescent light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing. When a fluorescent bulb breaks in your home, some of this mercury is released as mercury vapor. To minimize exposure to mercury vapor, EPA recommends that consumers follow the cleanup and disposal steps described in this document.

Before Cleanup


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Have people and pets leave the room, and avoid the breakage area on the way out.

Open a window or door to the outdoors and leave the room for 5‐10 minutes.

Shut off the central forced‐air heating/air conditioning (H&AC) system, if you have one.

Collect materials you will need to clean up the broken bulb:

o Stiff paper or cardboard o Sticky tape (e.g., duct tape) o Damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes (for hard surfaces) o Glass jar with a metal lid (such as a canning jar) or a sealable plastic bag(s)

Cleanup Steps for Hard Surfaces

Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris

and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable

plastic bag.

o NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the

plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup.

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and

powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.

Wipe the area clean with damp paper towels or disposable wet wipes. Place the towels in the

glass jar or plastic bag.

Vacuuming of hard surfaces during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains

after all other cleanup steps have been taken.

o NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercury‐containing powder or

mercury vapor, although available information on this problem is limited.

If vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:

o Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;

o Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available; and

o Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum

debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.

Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags in the

appropriate recycling container and secure the lid as described in the Storing Containers section

of this document.

Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb

debris and cleanup materials.

Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as

practical, for several hours.


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Cleanup Steps for Carpeting or Rugs

Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place debris

and paper/cardboard in a glass jar with a metal lid. If a glass jar is not available, use a sealable

plastic bag.

o NOTE: Since a plastic bag will not prevent the mercury vapor from escaping, remove the

plastic bag(s) from the home after cleanup.

Use sticky tape, such as duct tape, to pick up any remaining small glass fragments and

powder. Place the used tape in the glass jar or plastic bag.

Vacuuming of carpeting or rugs during cleanup is not recommended unless broken glass remains

after all other cleanup steps have been taken.

o NOTE: It is possible that vacuuming could spread mercury‐containing powder or

mercury vapor, although available information on this problem is limited.

If vacuuming is needed to ensure removal of all broken glass, keep the following tips in mind:

o Keep a window or door to the outdoors open;

o Vacuum the area where the bulb was broken using the vacuum hose, if available, and

o Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister) and seal the bag/vacuum

debris, and any materials used to clean the vacuum, in a plastic bag.

Promptly place all bulb debris and cleanup materials, including vacuum cleaner bags in the

appropriate recycling container and secure the lid as described in the Storing Containers section

of this document.

Wash your hands with soap and water after disposing of the jars or plastic bags containing bulb

debris and cleanup materials.

Continue to air out the room where the bulb was broken and leave the H&AC system shut off, as

practical, for several hours.

Future Cleaning of Carpeting or Rugs:

o Air Out the Room During and After Vacuuming

o The next several times you vacuum the rug or carpet, shut off the HVAC system if you

have one, close the doors to other rooms, and open a window or door to the outside

before vacuuming. Change the vacuum bag after each use in this area.

o After vacuuming is completed, keep the HVAC system shut off and the window or door

to the outside open, as practical, for several hours.

What if I can't follow all the recommended steps or I cleaned up a CFL but didn't do it properly?


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Don't be alarmed; these steps are precautions that reflect best practices for cleaning up a broken CFL. Keep in mind that CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury ‐‐ less than 1/100th of the amount in a mercury thermometer. However, if you are concerned about the risk to your health from potential exposure to mercury, consult your physician. Please be sure to report the exposure to your immediate supervisor as soon as the exposure occurs.

Important Contact Information for Veolia Recycling Program