Illinois

Illinois House Bill (HB) 2164 became law on August 19, 1997,exempting only householders. This law designates fluorescent and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps as universal waste, a category of hazardous wastes, because of their mercury content. This designation dramatically changed the allowable management practices for these lamps. Most notably, as universal waste lamps, they no longer must be disposed of in hazardous waste landfills as long as they are properly recycled or pass the TCLP test. The universal waste designation allows the lamps to be handled with less paperwork and licensing. While they may not be disposed of in municipal landfills or incinerators in Illinois unless they pass TCLP testing, they are easier to process to a recycler for destruction.