Recycling your used CFL light bulbs is the smartest, most responsible, and most environmentally sound method of CFL disposal.  Options available to Illinois residents for recycling CFLs include the following:  

** For Chicago residents, take your used bulbs back to the City's Household Products & Electronics Recycling Center.  Here's the Center's location (click here for a map):  

** For Chicagoland area residents, you can recycle old CFLs at over 148 participating Ace Hardware locations.  ComEd, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), and Ace Hardware have partnered together on a CFL recycling program allowing Illinois residents in ComEd service territories to take old CFLs back to an Ace Hardware store for proper disposal in IEPA-approved recycling facilities.  Click the link above for a list of participating stores.  

** Many IKEA stores accept CFL bulbs for recycling.  Contact your local IKEA store for more information. 

** On June 24th, The Home Depot announced the launch of its national CFL bulb recycling program.  Per the company's press release, this program is available at all 1,973 The Home Depot store locations nationwide.  To find the Home Depot store nearest to you, click here.   

** Countless other locations exist statewide for CFL recycling -- merchants, municipalities, disposal centers, and more.  To find the location nearest you, visit earth911.org and follow the following easy instructions: 

• type "CFL" into the first prompt at the top of the page
• type your zip code into the second prompt at the top of the page
• click "go" for a list of nearby CFL recycling centers   

And for even more information on CFL recycling programs in your area, consult the U.S. EPA's bulb recycling program page.