Prototype

After some heavy design and development over the past week or two I've come up with a preliminary design for the prototype. With some comments from you guys, and from professor Chu, I should be able to finalize it within the week.

chu email

Hi Kevin,Copy of my resume is available here:http://sites.google.com/site/hsiaoyunchu/ and I sent you a link. Also, you may wish to look for post consumer recycled content paper as a way to make your cfl box. Or you could substitute a biodegradable plastic which could be compostable. Do a google search for PLA and you will find some biodegradable plastics. You could also use cornstarch packaging peanuts as a more sustainable solution to the outer packaging of CFL's. Info on how to recycle the CFL's should be available on the package, but could also be printed on the barrel/body of the lightbulb in the sense that people usually chuck the packaging, and they may not know how to recycled the lightbulb once it's burned out since they have already disposed of the packaging. Putting recycling info on the bulb itself could help.HYC
-----kevin lum wrote: -----
To: Hsiao-Yun Chu From: kevin lum Date: 03/12/2009 12:30PMSubject: DAI505 CFL problem_KevinLum
Professor Chu,

I have chosen you to be on my panel of experts because you've taught the packaging design class. I havn't taken the class myself but my solution to the CFL recycling problem has to do with a redesign of the light bulb packaging. If i did the packaging redesign, it would be like printer cartridges, how you can open it, put the new one in the printer, then put the old one in the container ready for recycling. I believe when people drop this light bulb in the recycling receptacle at various places like The Home Depot, surrounded by the packaging, it would prevent any breakage that might occur. This way the packaging can also remind people to recycle, thus preventing a lot more mercury vapor leakage from improper disposal. What do you think? I would also like to request a copy of your resume or possibly a short bio so I may put it at the end of my report.
Thanks, -Kevin Lum

Bibliography

DAI505 LITERATURE REVIEW BIBLIOGRAPHY
CFL RECYCLING

1. Recycling Norms by Ann E. Carlson, California Law Review, Vol. 89, No. 5 (Oct., 2001) pp. 1231-1300. Published by: California Law Review, Inc.

2. Utilities Amp Up to Push Energy Use: California Pays Bonuses For Reducing Demand; A Switch in Light Bulbs by Rebecca Smith, The Wall Street Journal: Business, January 9th, 2008

3. -The New Encyclopedia Britannica Volume 8, pages 30-31 , 15th edition, Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.

4. http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE4A224N20081103
University students get serious about going green
Mon Nov 3, 2008 6:07am EST
By Nick Rosen

5. http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSTRE4B74EU20081208
EU to turn off energy-guzzling light bulbs
Mon Dec 8, 2008 12:29pm EST

6. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/do-cfls-increase-greenhouse-gases/?scp=1&sq=cfl&st=cse
March 5, 2009, 10:46 am
Green Inc. : Energy, the Environment, and the Bottom Line
Do C.F.L.’s Increase Greenhouse Gases?
By John Lorinc

7. http://fivepercent.us/2008/09/09/cfl-bulb-review-recommended-cfl-bulbs-to-replace-incandescent/
September 9, 2008
CFL Bulb Review: Best CFL Bulbs to Replace Incandescent
CFLs and Mercury
Tom Harrison

8. Climate 411 <-blog
Mercury Risk in CFLs: The Facts
July 31, 2007 Posted by John Balbus in Health, Lightbulbs
The author of today's post, John Balbus, M.D., is Chief Health Officer at Environmental Defense.
Pasted from <http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/2007/07/31/cfl_mercury-2/>

9. -Release of Mercury From Broken Fluorescent Bulbs
Michael Aucotta, Michael McLindenb , and Michael Winkac -- Feb 2004

Justin Maresch/Shutterstock - Incandescent vs CFL photo

10. http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/light-bulbs-which-do-you-use/
Green Inc. - Energy, the Environment, and the Bottom Line
January 15, 2009, 11:07 am
Light Bulbs: Which Do You Use?
By Tom Zeller Jr.

11. NY TimesHome Depot Offers Recycling for Compact Fluorescent Bulbs
By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM
Published: June 24, 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/business/24recycling.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=cfl&st=cse

12. http://www.wikipedia.org - Keywords: Compact Fluorescent Lamp, Fluorescent Lamp

13. UES' ENERGY STAR(R) Lighting Program Cuts CFL Costs by up to 50 Percent
Published: January 29, 2009

Pasted from <http://markets.on.nytimes.com/research/stocks/news/press_release.asp?docKey=600-200901281432BIZWIRE_USPR_____BW6046-1QI8E7K6C6NIQDB61PV6EOIA5E&provider=Businesswire&docDate=January%2029%2C%202009&press_symbol=US%3BUNS&scp=4&sq=Recycling%20cfl&st=cse>


14. BAY AREA
New plan to cut mercury release into bay
Jane Kay, Chronicle Environment Writer
Saturday, May 1, 2004

Pasted from <http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/05/01/BAG446EA7T1.DTL&hw=mercury+waste&sn=006&sc=506>

15. Lamp Companies Announce New Fluorescent Lamps
· The Science News-Letter, Vol. 33, No. 21 (May 21, 1938), pp. 327-328
· Published by: Society for Science & the Public

Pasted from <http://0-www.jstor.org.opac.sfsu.edu/stable/3914183?&Search=yes&term=fluorescent&term=lamp&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfluorescent%2Blamp%26wc%3Don&item=8&ttl=5745&returnArticleService=showArticle>

16. Fluorescent Lamps
· John Mooney
· Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science (1903-), Vol. 54, No. 4 (Dec., 1951), pp. 504-505
· Published by: Kansas Academy of Science

Pasted from <http://0-www.jstor.org.opac.sfsu.edu/stable/3626209?&Search=yes&term=fluorescent&term=lamp&list=hide&searchUri=%2Faction%2FdoBasicSearch%3FQuery%3Dfluorescent%2Blamp%26wc%3Don&item=11&ttl=5745&returnArticleService=showArticle>

17. Resource guide: All about recycling
By Ann Tatko-Peterson
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 04/25/2008 10:31:20 AM PDT
Updated: 04/26/2008 01:53:59 PM PDT

Pasted from <http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_9054376?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com>

18. Green Scene: Happy Green Year
By Trine Gallegos
Contra Costa Times correspondent
Posted: 01/09/2009 04:00:00 PM PST
Updated: 01/09/2009 04:04:31 PM PST

Pasted from <http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_11408013?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com>









-- Most of my stuff is from the internet.. I know what you're thinking. That I'm half-assing it, but truth is there aren't many books on the subject at hand. I had to find a way to get written material on the matter and the most anyone has written about the subject is in various blogs and news articles.

Hypothesis

It was hypothesized that the implementation of a new type of packaging for Compact Fluorescent Lights would make the process of CFL recycling more convenient and safe.

It was hypothesized that the implementation of a new method of CFL recycling would make the process more convenient and safe.

results are in

I've taken my field questionaire and tabulated the results out of 50 participants.

1) Do you use Compact Fluorescent Lights in your household?

86% yes, 14% no

2) Were you aware that fluorescent lights contain mercury?

46% yes, 54%no

3) When the compact fluorescent lights burn out do you:

60% throw away, 40% recycle

4) have you ever broken a fluorescent light?

54% yes, 46% no

5) How often do you shop at the home depot?

6% never, 46%1-2/6mo, 24% 3-4/6mo, 24%, 5+/6mo

6) Have you noticed the fluorescent recycling center by the front entrance before?

16% yes, 84% no

Comments: Some bulbs have short life, Don't have address to recycling centers, I put em in a bag and smash em before I throw it in the garbage.

Survey up, reply if you wish

SFSU – DAI 505 – CFL RECYCLING QUESTIONAIRE

Please circle the answer following each question

1) Do you use Compact Fluorescent Lights in your household? YES / NO
2) Were you aware that fluorescents contain mercury? YES / NO
3) When the Compact Fluorescent Lights burn out do you: Throw it away / Recycle ?
4) Have you ever broken a fluorescent light? YES / NO
5) How often do you shop at the Home Depot?
1 – 2 visits per 6 months
3 – 4 visits per 6 months
5 or more visits per 6 months
6) Have you noticed the fluorescent recycling center by the entrance before? YES / NO

Comments on your experience with Compact Fluorescent Lights or e-recycling centers:

Panel of Experts Finalized

David Tucker - Waste Management - Dtucker2@WM.com - Municipal Affairs Manager
-Basically the PR manager for Waste Management; Has extensive knowlege on all that goes on within the company, especially regarding recyclables and hazardous waste

Rosa Badu-Baidoo - The Home Depot - baidoo_2000@yahoo.com - Return to Vendor Department/Shipping and Recieving
-Handles burnt out fluorescents and returns them to vendors as a recycling service to the every day consumer

Professor Hsiao-Yun Chu - SFSU - Hychu@sfsu.edu - Professor, Design & Industry
-Teaches a bunch of classes here at SFSU. I've chosen her because she taught the packaging design class and my solution has to do with that.

Low mercury

To further my research I needed to prove that mercury in the bulbs is a known problem. From my field questionare, most people do know about mercury being in the bulbs, and know that it is poisonous to them. I've done some looking around at various products, and it seems that for years, manufacturers like Phillips and GE have been making low mercury content fluorescents, including CFLs. They usually have a green cap to distinguish them. In fact, many commercial and business places currently use these bulbs. They also have almost no lead. Information regarding the subject can be seen from this link... http://www.atlantalightbulbs.com/pages/alto3.html

David Tucker, Manager, Municipal Affairs WM email

Thank you for the reply David. After reviewing the information you have given me, I have only a few questions. I know a lot of people just throw the fluorescent bulbs away. This breakage can have some bad effects on human health.
1. Do you know of any cases where someone at the Waste Management facility at the end of Davis St. got sick from the Mercury? I am not aware of any cases of injury or illness from mercury at the site. If a fluorescent tube was placed in the trash can at the curb, by the time it would get to DSTS, the level of exposure would be minimal.
2. Do you get lots of fluorescent bulbs, broken or not broken, in the weekly trash cycle? If you do get unbroken ones, what do you do with them? A typical residential garbage truck could hold about 30 yards of waste. If a fluorescent tube or several tubes were tossed in the trash can, it would be difficult to find. These tubes have a tendency to shatter into small pieces.
3. I know you have to handle these materials as a hazardous waste, so there are costs involved. We are not permitted to handle hazardous waste. Residents are instructed to disposal at an approved hazardous waste facility that is typically run by the County.
4. I heard that you can put your batteries separately on top of the garbage can for pick up, and when the truck comes, they can sort it then and there, and put it into a separate bin, can there be a similar solution for household fluorescent bulbs? Collecting CFL,s at the curb is problematic in that the tube are fragile and it would be difficult to ensure they would not be broken or removed by someone walking by the container. That is why we are excited about our lamptracker program to assist residents to properly disposal of this material in an environmental friendly way.
5. Can I have a copy of your resume to put at the end of my report? My teachers ask me to put proof that I am in contact with a professional in the field of my study. I have attached a scan of my business card
Thanks,
-Kevin Lum

-David Tucker did not have a current resume on hand, so instead he gave me a business card and a description of what he does. the following link goes into detail of what a public relations manager does http://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/133/Public-Relations-Manager.html. He handles the public relations for the municipal district, which means he just talks to the media about things that have to deal with Waste Management.

Full Steam ahead

I've got my second guy in the panel of experts. David Tucker of Waste Management in San Leandro has agreed to help me in my quest for knowlege.

I've been collecting data on all sorts of information regarding my topic from wherever I can find it. I figure, I can just organize it later or something.

So far I know why mercury is used in fluorescent bulbs, and the processes used to collect the mercury after the bulb has burnt out. I know what mercury poisoning does to you, and your kids. I've also found out about an alternative energy saving light bulb; LEDs. I still need to conduct my field surveys, and collect more data from other journals and reports about recycling and fluorescents.

Keywords: Mercury, Poisoning, Recycling, Fluorescent Lamp


*There used to be something on google that you could just type your stuff in the boxes and it would give a full MLA or APA citation. If anyone knows the link your help would be greatly appreciated.

Formulating Field Survey Questions (updated)

Professor Noble said that to keep people's attention, I should keep my questions to around 6. So, Here's my six. I will implement them this weekend

1. Do you use CFL's in your household?

Yes / No

2. Were you previously aware that they contained mercury?

Yes / No

3. When they go bad do you:

A) Throw Away B)Recycle

4. Have you ever broken a fluorescent bulb in the past year?

Yes / No

5. How often do you shop at The Home Depot?

1-2 visits/6 months
3-4 visits/6 months
5 or more/6months

Comments/Suggestions

New Developments 2/19/09

I've gone to the Home Depot and saw their system of fluorescent bulb recycling. It's basically a little orange box at the front of the store by the customer returns desk. It was obscured from general vision as there were shopping carts and stuff in the way. I talked to the manager about the issue, and he pointed me to Rosa Badu-Baidoo of the Return to Vendors department. She said that lately the they've been getting all types of bulbs, not only the CFL's and regular tubes. It's been filling up quite often, but given the size of the box, it should be needing emptying almost every day, rather than every week or so. The company that picks up the the fluorescent tubes is called PSC, and makes a pick up every month. I've asked Rosa to be on my panel of experts, as she manages the return to vendor department, which handles all of the hazardous waste drop-off. I'm very close to formulating a hypothesis.

First plan of action

I need to know the current process in getting rid of CFL's, and what happens if you just throw the bulbs away. With some digging around I found that PG&E has a website specifically for CFL's. On the top corner there's a link to find out how to recycle them. This sends you to another website for the California Integrated Waste Management Board. There is a link there http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Publiced/Earths911.htm which asks your zip code and what you have to recycle. I typed in 94579 (San Leandro), and the big name that popped up was Home Depot. I've never heard of them being a recycling place, so I will investigate today the process of disposal there. Hopefully I'm moving in the right direction. A lot of San Leandro residents go to Home Depot, but I doubt most of them know about disposing CFL's there.

Assumptions

I assume that:

1. all CFL's contain mercury
2. mercury is poisonous

That's all I have for now, but I'll be sure to think of some more assumptions that relate to my problem.

Delimitations

I have to narrow the scope of my research if I'm to get it done by the semester's end. This study will only focus on current residents of San Leandro, CA who have used, or currently use CFL's. This will hopefully provide a better solution to the disposal problem. I will also be limiting my solution include everything but a visual communication one, because my specialty is in the product design field.

The Problem

I've identified the problem and now have a direction for my research.

PROBLEM
Residents of San Leandro, CA lack a safe and convenient way to properly recycle burnt out compact fluorescent light bulbs, CFL's, on a regular basis.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this research was to investigate and develop a convenient yet safe way for residents of San Leandro, CA to properly recycle burnt out CFL's on a regular basis.

Research and Development

DAI 505 is the capstone course of my education at San Francisco State University. It uses all of the knowlege that I've gained thus far, since I've started going here as a freshman. For this class I have a formal research project which will eventually lead to a working prototype of my solution. I have one semester to get through this so I better get cracking.