Dont trust CFL light bulb recycling at Home Depot. Total toxic hazard at my local Home Depot see photos of smashed bulbs in the Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb recycling bin there.
Oh by the way, the bin is right next to a pregnant clerks cash register. I calmly spoke to the store manager about the dangerous bin and was angrily told to leave the store.
The CFL recycling bin had no sealable bags in the dispenser. All the bulbs in the bin were already broken when I went to place my wrapped CFL bulbs in it. This exposes customers and store workers to mercury vapor.
I called the County Environmental Protection Department and the Home Depot Headquarters. Months later, nothing has changed. The other Home Depot in my area is the same.
Im not even saving energy or money. Using a Kill A Watt energy meter, I discovered that because I turn my lights off when I leave a room, CFLs use more energy than incandescent for short use. Plus my CFLs only last about twice as long as their equivalent standard bulbs because I turn them on and off so much.