Lighting has changed a lot in recent years, and so has the right way to get rid of it. The bulbs and tubes in your home fall into a few different families — old incandescent and halogen bulbs, energy-saving compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), long fluorescent tubes, and modern LEDs. Each is made differently, and that affects how you should dispose of it. Getting this right matters because some types contain small amounts of mercury, a toxic heavy metal that can leach into soil and waterways if it's broken in a landfill or, worse, in your kerbside truck.

The most important rule is that fluorescent tubes and CFLs should never go in your general rubbish or your yellow recycling bin. These contain mercury vapour, and when they smash they release it into the environment and put collection workers at risk. Instead, take them to a dedicated drop-off point. Many transfer stations and community recycling centres accept fluorescent tubes and CFLs as hazardous waste, and some lighting and hardware retailers run take-back points too. Handle them carefully, keep them intact, and transport them upright in a box so they don't roll around and break.

Old incandescent and halogen bulbs are a different story. They don't contain mercury, but they also can't go in the yellow recycling bin — the fine wire filaments, metal bases and specialised glass aren't accepted by kerbside recycling systems, which are set up for bottles, jars and rigid containers. The safest option is to wrap a spent incandescent or halogen bulb so it won't shatter and put it in your red general-waste bin. It's not a perfect outcome, but these bulbs are largely inert and landfill is the practical route for them.

LED bulbs are increasingly common because they last for years and use far less power, but when they finally fail they're a small piece of electronic waste. The base contains circuitry, so the best home for a dead LED is an e-waste collection rather than the rubbish or recycling bin. Many transfer stations and e-waste recyclers will take them, sometimes for a small fee. If you're switching your home over to LEDs, doing it gradually as old bulbs die out means less to dispose of at once and lower power bills along the way.

If you ever break a fluorescent tube or CFL, don't panic, but do clean it up carefully. Open a window to air the room, avoid vacuuming straight away as that can spread mercury vapour, and use stiff paper or cardboard to scoop up the fragments and powder. Seal everything in a glass jar or sealed plastic bag and take it to your transfer station's hazardous waste area rather than putting it in the bin.

Because acceptance rules and drop-off locations vary from place to place, it always pays to check your local council website or ring your nearest transfer station before you make the trip. A quick check confirms what they take, the opening hours, and whether any fees apply. The simple takeaway: keep mercury-containing tubes and CFLs out of all your bins and take them to a proper drop-off, bin old incandescents and halogens carefully in general waste, and treat dead LEDs as e-waste.