Dead Ballast - any concerns with disposal?

[lhousesoccer]

A month or so ago I posted about an 8-foot dual bulb fluro light fixture in my garage that would come on then off intermittently, then stopped altogether. Thanks for all the posts to help me figure it out. It was a dead ballast after all. I've put a new one in and everythings working great. My question - is there anything I need to know about tossing the dead ballast? Is it hazardous waste?

[Ralph Field]

I believe that you should treat it as hazardous waste and send it to the hazardous waste disposal in your area. I'm only about 90% sure on this.

[Terry]

how old is it I think if it's newer then 1980 it does not contain pcbs

Edited June 18, 2012 by Terry

[lhousesoccer]

I built the garage in 2004 and that's when the light fixtures were purchased, so whatever these pvc's are, it might not have them. The thing weighs a ton though - it's a large ballast and is the higher model for colder weather. I'm guess there's got to be something inside that's not good for the landfill ...

[Terry]

 

Lamp and Ballast Recycling Q&As

 

Ballasts

 

How do I know if a ballast contains PCBs?

Typically ballasts that do not contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) will be labeled as such. PCBs were discontinued for use in fluorescent ballasts manufactured after 1979. Manufacturers of ballasts and capacitors use distinct catalogue and date codes to identify their product. Interpreting the manufacturer’s codes is crucial in determining whether a ballast contains a PCB capacitor. See Environment Canada’s booklet on ‘Identification of Lamp Ballasts Containing PCBs’ [PDF, 4.4 Mb] for details on what to look for.

 

 

How do I dispose of ballasts?

Ballasts with PCBs and ballasts manufactured pre-1979 without labels should be disposed of as hazardous waste in accordance with government regulations. Newer ballasts manufactured after 1979 can be recycled for scrap metal and copper.

 

PCB ballasts should be sent to a PCB processing facility, where the metals are separated for recycling. Currently, there is only one PCB processing facility in Canada that destroys PCBs: Swan Hills Treatment Center in Alberta. PCB ballasts have to be transported by a Ministry of Environment (MOE) certified carrier. PCB ballasts cannot be burned under any circumstances.

 

 

 

[danc]

Let me google that for you.

 

How to dispose of used light ballasts

[lhousesoccer]

Let me google that for you.

 

How to dispose of used light ballasts

 

Lol. Yeah, ok Terry and DanC ... I get the point! I did google it. I probably have an average Google quotient of about 5.7 per day (totally random made-up number). I look alot of stuff up on Google. But, it never can equal first-hand knowledge and tips from a real person, so certain things I like to follow up on with a question to someone who's done it, tried it, tasted it, tested it, knows it ....