Company Delivers 160 Special Recycling Containers

To celebrate Earth Day and encourage the recycling of energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs, PPL Electric Utilities has delivered special recycling containers to more than 160 municipalities in central and eastern Pennsylvania.

“Compact fluorescent light bulbs offer customers an easy, low-cost way to save electricity and protect the environment,” said David G. DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities. “We want customers to be able to recycle these light bulbs in a way that is just as easy and convenient.”

DeCampli said the company has offered free containers to all of the 657 municipalities in its service territory. Those that accepted received a container that can hold up to 75 compact fluorescent light bulbs. Prepaid shipping labels and boxes allow for easy return to recycling facilities.

“We’re hopeful that more local communities will recognize the benefits of these kits and make them a permanent part of their recycling programs,” he said.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs. They also last up to 10 times longer and generate far less heat, which can help save customers money on cooling costs. They also contain a small amount of mercury — about 100 times less than in older thermometers or about one-fifth the amount found in a watch battery.

PPL Electric Utilities has joined the federal government’s ENERGY STAR® program in encouraging the use of these energy-efficient bulbs. This winter, the company distributed more than 160,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs to customers who used the company’s online Energy Analyzer to get energy-saving tips.

Those bulbs alone could save customers 77 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and $8 million over the life of the bulbs. They could have the same effect in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as planting more than 14,700 acres of trees or removing more than 10,300 cars from the road for one year.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs have become more popular, particularly as customers look for ways to save and as more and more light bulb varieties have become available. Today, these light bulbs command a bigger part of home improvement and department store shelves.

To learn more about compact fluorescent light bulbs, visit the PPL Electric Utilities Energy Library.

PPL Electric Utilities Corporation, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation that provides electricity delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania, has consistently ranked among the best companies for customers service in the United States. More information is available at www.pplelectric.com.