It might surprise you to know that your spent bulbs can't all just be chucked in the general waste and most can't be recycled due to the various parts that they're comprised of - all needing to be separated out which proves to be prohibitively costly.
Light bulbs largely fall into two categories - those that can be thrown in your general waste and those containing harmful substances that need more careful handling. It's important to note that those containing mercury and other unpleasant things don't cause any harm to the user whilst they are in operation.
Here's our guide to light bulb disposal...
Standard incandescent light bulbs (the old fashioned kind) - these go in the general waste bins but not in recycling. The glass used in their production is different to the standard glass that is accepted in the recycling bin.
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) - these can't go in your everyday bins but you CAN put them in your main wheelie bins. Currently there is no legislation to say you can't but we advise more careful disposal as they contain small amounts of mercury. Each one of these bulbs carries an 'end of life' recycling fee - try your local council tip to see what they offer, many are free to use.
Halogen lamps - as with standard bulbs, you can put these in your main waste but not in recycling.
LEDs - look for the disposal instructions in the equipment they are used in but generally you can dispose of these in mainstream waste bins. In terms of their impact on the environment, LEDs are excellent as they last so long.
Fluorescent tubes - like CFLS these tubes also contain small amounts of mercury and should be disposed of at a local recycling point, often free of charge.
Commercially it makes good sense to have a recycling policy - not just for your lighting waste but for all your recycling in the workplace. Getting the team into good habits means they all know what they're doing with the rubbish so it ends up in the right place! For lighting disposal, check out what's available locally - there are all sorts of schemes for sorting and getting rid of light bulbs of every kind. Recyclenow.com is a good source of general recycling information. Obviously when you are having a large refit, there is also a lot of cardboard packaging to consider too.