All Washington businesses were required by law beginning Jan. 1 to recycle their mercury-containing light bulbs and tubes.

Nationwide, about 680 million lights are disposed of annually, most to solid waste disposal facilities, including landfills and incinerators. If mercury-containing light bulbs and tubes are discarded incorrectly and/or are broken, they potentially can expose waste handlers or others to inhalation of mercury vapors, according to a release from Waste Mangement.

Waste Management has set up a program, called Lamp Tracker, for businesses to recycle their light bulbs. Customers can order a prepaid container and ship the package both ways to dispose of bulbs and other special waste items.

For more information, go to www.wmnorthwest.com and search for "Lamp Tracker."