[Greenbuilding] mercury in CFLs/reusable CFL ballasts

[Reuben Deumling]

Time was you could get CFLs where the ballast was reusable and you
just had to replace the glass tubes that had a pin-socket. Are these
still made? Any recent experience with them? I purchased a bunch made
by ABCO in the mid 1990s which I still have and use. They are pretty
bulky and this was before tubes got all curly-cueey, so they were also
quite long and thus didn't fit into some sockets or globes. I could
imagine with all that has happened to make CFL ballasts more compact
there may be a more user-friendly newer version around...(?) On the
assumption that the mercury is in the ballast and not the glass, this
should also help reduce the generation of hazardous waste, all else
being equal.

Reuben Deumling