Canada will phase out compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs)—once believed to be a green alternative to incandescent bulbs—within the year due to concerns of mercury pollution, says the federal Department of Environment.
“Most lamps for general lighting purposes would be prohibited by January 1, 2024,” said the department, referring to compact fluorescent bulbs, in a “Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement,” according to Blacklock’s Reporter.
The department said the year-long delay in phasing the bulbs out will give retailers the time they need to “sell their stock.”
The bulbs each contain about 5 milligrams of mercury—listed as a “highly toxic substance” by Health Canada, which also acknowledges mercury as the “only existing element that produces the UV wavelengths needed to make CFLs work.”…