Take back the light with LEDs at home

Each year, Earth Hour reminds us that it’s worth it to make greener choices

Earth Hour is Saturday from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. — the one hour we flick off all our lights — and it’s a good reminder to make greener choices, including with our lighting.

When it comes to “green” lights, we have a lot of choices. I’ve been going to all the home shows lately and the stuff I’ve seen, especially with LEDs, will blow you away.

Light fixtures for LEDs used to be very limited, but that’s no longer the case. There are dimmable LEDs; LEDs that change colours; and LED strips you can install below kitchen cabinetry and along stairs. There are also solar LEDs, LEDs for chandeliers and on and on.

It’s no secret my favourite green lights are LEDs. They save energy, and no other light lasts longer. On average, LEDs last about 25,000 hours. That’s 22 years. The runner-up, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) — those light bulbs shaped like screws — last about 8,000 to 10,000 hours, which is less than half the average lifespan of an LED.

I have LEDs all around my house, inside and out, including on my deck, in my garage and along the exterior. We have even started using LEDs on set. But they’re expensive, and some families simply can’t afford to switch every single light they have to an LED right now.

So what do you do if you want to go green but you can’t afford LEDs? One strategy is to slowly make the switch.

For example, you might start by replacing the lights you use most often with LEDs so you get the biggest payoff on saving energy, and then tackle bulbs in other fixtures. In the meantime, for those lights that are still waiting to be switched to LED, CFLs are a good alternative.

Unfortunately, CFLs have been taking a lot of heat in the news recently, which has made some people nervous about using them.

The issue is that CFLs contain a small amount of mercury in them — actually, mercury gas, as well as argon. (Inside CFLs is a coating of phosphor, and when electrically charged, the argon and mercury vapours collide with the coating of phosphor and this process produces visible light with very little heat.)

If we were to just throw CFLs in the garbage, there’s a really big chance they’ll get crushed, and then that mercury gas can escape into the air, ground and water.

But this isn’t news, or at least it shouldn’t be. That’s why we recycle CFLs — as we do batteries, paint and old cellphones. We don’t just throw these items in the garbage; they can contain hazardous materials and, in some cases, their parts can be recycled. Practically every part of a CFL can be recycled and reused.

So, are CFLs bad? No. They save a lot of energy, and since incandescent bulbs are being weaned off the market, CFLs are sensible options. But we have to be smart about the way we deal with them.

For example, any product that contains mercury should indicate that, or have the “HG” symbol on it. But how to get rid of these products safely or handle them safely if they break should be common knowledge. Many municipalities have recycling programs and depots that take old CFLs, and some retailers — such as Canadian Tire (depending on where you live), Ikea and Rona — do, too.

And depending on the province you live in, there might be recycling programs that specifically deal with CFLs, such as Ontario’s Take Back the Light and B.C.’s LightRecycle. Also, ProjectPorchlight.com is a great resource for finding CFL recycling outlets.

The information is out there. Do your homework and spread the word. It’s the first step to make it right.