"The Bulb Eater" takes a bite out of waste at BGH

When Ken Paradise, manager of facility services at Belleville General Hospital, saw The Bulb Eater demonstrated at a trade show in 2007, he knew the device was one that would help BGH in more ways than one.
Using over 500 fluorescent tube light bulbs a month, the hospital used to place the used bulbs back into the boxes they came in, and kept them in storage until they were disposed of.
The problem with that, Paradise says, was the fact the bulbs were not only taking up space in the hospital, they also posed a danger threat to workers who had to handle the bulbs.
Fluorescent light bulbs are easily broken, and within the glass tubing are dangerous gases, including mercury. The threat of these gases escaping, Paradise says, is one The Bulb Eater has eliminated — not to mention the space it has freed up.
The device fits onto 55 gallon drums, and, once operating, creates a vacuum with in the drum.
A powerful motor takes in tube bulbs anywhere from 1'-8' long in less than a second, and the bulbs are basically disintegrated by the rotating chains within the machine. The three-step filtration process uses both carbon and HEPA filters to separate glass and metal particles, and harmful mercury and phosphorus gases, containing both in filtration bags within the device. This works in a similar manner to the way a household vacuum bag holds all the dust and debris collected from around the home.
At $4,500, Paradise says the investment took no time to receive approval, as the green benefits of the device are undeniable.
The used bulbs the hospital once sent to landfills in boxes are now decomposed into 55-gallon drums, and the cardboard boxes that once served to protect the glass are now recycled.
The device removes 99.9 per cent of all mercury vapour, and one drum can hold over 1,300 bulbs.
The device is one Paradise and other hospital staff are happy to see reducing the waste BGH puts out daily, and enjoying the free space this new technology has given them, as well.

For more information on The Bulb Eater, visit manufacturer Sybertech's website at www.swrl.com.

To learn more about Belleville General Hospital, just one part of Quinte Health Care in the province of Ontario, visit their website at www.qhc.on.ca.

Details of the BGH redevelopment project can be found at http://www.qhc.on.ca/body.cfm?id=281.

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• Bulb
• Eater
• Fluorescent
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• BGH
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• Paradise
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• Stafford
• Ontario
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• Quinte

[scott21498]

Due to a lack of data, Federal EPA did not include lamp crushing within their UW regulations 10 years ago. They left it to states to make their own determination. Roughly 8 or 9 states have included/allowed crushing within their UW regulations. Another 30 or so states also allow it, but manage it within hazardous waste regulations. States such as FL, VA, and NC have done testing and support its use. A few EPA offices even use the BE. 2 Regions have highlighted the BE as a Best Practice

[scott21498]

The difference is that a lamp thrown in a dumpster is completely unfiltered and not contained whereas as the lamps that are crushed in the system are filtered and the crushed lamps are contained in a drum.

[scott21498]

Where is empirical data that shows that the general population is exposed to dangerous levels of mercury vapor stemming from the machine use? If it is just a hypothetical exercise, then we should also consider the exposure from accidentally broken lamps where the vapors aren't filtered. The reality is that some vapor will be released during the process of getting lamps recycled regardless of method. This system minimizes that quantity.

[scott21498]

We are in agreement that the lamps should be recycled. Often there are savings having the lamps pre-crushed. Whether that be in recycling savings and/or transportation savings. Plus, depending on the facility there may be storage issues.

[scott21498]

Extensive research? That's a stretch don't you think? MN took less than 10 minutes of instant readings during a demonstration. CA has not performed any studies. The CA report you cited earlier simply reviewed the data that was available 6 or 7 yrs ago and commented.

[cobaltore]

If saving money and reducing waste is the goal, it must be considered case by case. All researched thus far has shown no savings when the cost of the machine is added. Reducing cardboard waste? No. Recycled either on site or recycling center . Fuel savings? depends on infrastructure.

Overall: Bulbs should be recycled whole and never placed in general trash.

Two of the most environmentally progressive states (CA and MN) have performed extensive studies and both have prohibited their use.

[cobaltore]

Per MN OSHA standards= Any state/ federal occupational standards don't apply to occupants in a hospital (technically, not even the janitor who uses the machine), as they are not expected to be exposed to mercury as part of a job function. The MDH mercury air standard for a school/ hospital is 800 nanograms per cubic meter (1,200 ng/m3 spot location), although this is less in many schools and hospitals per individual rules. The exhaust from one of these machines is over 50,000 ng/m3.

[cobaltore]

Per OSHA standards= OSHA standards don't apply to patients/ practitioners/ visitors in a hospital as they are not expected to be exposed to mercury as part of a job function.

[cobaltore]

Per vapor dispersion= Mercury Vapor can travel over 200 miles, as noted by the Lightening the Load article on the manufacturers website (AirCycle). To transfer this to a forced air system in a hospital with a distance hundreds of times less that those posted on the manufacturers website, is more than reasonable.

Per regulatory standards= EPA prohibits on-site crushing under UW rules and leaves it up to state UW programs per "Mercury Emissions From the Disposal of Fluorescent Lamps" report

[scott21498]

Oh, and regarding them being outlawed in many states thats more than a bit overstated. Bulb Eaters can be used legally in roughly 40 states and in the remaining states I dont believe they are outlawed but that a permit would be required to use them.