Lightbulb Exchange

The Howard County Lightbulb Exchange encourages energy conservation and provides an easy way for Howard County residents to receive a free LED lightbulb while disposing of old lightbulbs properly. Since its inception, the program has provided more than 5,000 LED light bulbs!

Howard County Lightbulb Exchange

LED, or “light-emitting diode”, light bulbs have about a 10-year lifespan and are up to 80 percent more efficient than conventional light bulbs. Howard County’s Lightbulb Exchange provides residents with up to four free LED lightbulbs when they bring in old incandescent or CFL bulbs to exchange. (No tube-shaped bulbs accepted.)

Exchange Locations

Lightbulbs can be exchanged at the circulation desk of any branch library within the Howard County Library System or at the Roger Carter Community Center welcome desk.

Program Details

All types of incandescent and CFL bulb shapes are accepted for exchange, with the exception of tube lights. The program offers a one-to-one exchange, with up to four LED lightbulbs provided to Howard County residents per visit. Residents with larger quantities of lightbulbs, or bulbs not accepted by the program like tube lights and other lightbulb styles such as halogen bulbs, should seek alternative disposal opportunities detailed in Howard County Bureau of Environmental Services’ Lightbulb Recycling Guide.

Lightbulb Safety and Disposal

In addition to the energy savings benefits of LEDs, this program provides a safe means of disposal for CFL lightbulbs, which contain trace amounts of mercury and should not be disposed in household trash. If a CFL bulb breaks, it is recommended to wear gloves, seal the bulb in a heavy-duty plastic bag and clean the surrounding area. The Alpha Ridge Landfill accepts CFL bulbs on Saturdays from April to November, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Howard County’s Bureau of Environmental Services has compiled a guide to lightbulb disposal, which details different lightbulbs and additional disposal or recycling opportunities.

Program History

The Lightbulb Exchange is offered by Howard County’s Office of Community Sustainability in partnership with the Howard County Library System and Howard County Recreation and Parks. The exchange began as a 2022 GreenFest initiative and then as a pilot program at the East Columbia and Elkridge library branches in February 2023. The program expanded to all Howard County Library System branches in November 2023. Roger Carter Community Center was added as a collection site in January 2024. As of fall 2025, the program has distributed over 5,200 free LEDs and collected over 6,400 old bulbs. That is the equivalent of an estimated savings of $69,000 in cumulative energy costs and 494,000 kWh of energy every year.