Were they PCB ballasts?
Were they PCB ballasts?
Yup! Trash them.
In order to fit in a bag, I just tapped my T12's with a hammer to break the glass into a box. Then bagged the glass for the trash. It's what the recycler will do anyway.
I know in Canada you can take all the exotic bulbs and batteries you want to the (designated areas in the) dump and you only pay by weight...helped my grandmother dump a bigass CRT and an old toilet this year (along with many bulbs and batteries) and the charge was so small I don't remember what it was.
Why all the trouble? Just go drop them off at Home Depot or Lowes where they have recycling points set up.
Without knowing what country you're from it's hard to say what the proper procedure would be. In the US, most areas have some means for safely disposing of them.
Dosent Home Depot take these for free?
The tubes go inside of a couple of industrial strength construction clean-up green bags. Put a piece of plywood over the top and jump up and down until the crunchy sound goes away. 20 bulbs take up a about a gallon of space in the bag and out it goes with the rest of the shop junk.
I have a free E-Waste recycling center near me.
If it's not cheap (free) and easy to recycle products then people won't dispose of waste properly.
The county takes fluorescent bulbs for free here through a partnership with a private company. Their hours aren't great but at least it's free for individuals. They charge businesses so they're always quizzing me on whether stuff is from a business. They tried to charge me to take an LCD television and I told them no - I'll take it to a recycler and they'll pay me for it. So they took it for free. How magnanimous of them.
I agree, if they tried to charge me $160, I would just throw it in the trash. It's legal and free, why wouldn't I?
How did you end up with 80 T8 bulbs? From work?
On the ballasts, I take in my electronic scrap to a recycler and they pay for that stuff. It's not usually a lot, but it's something.
http://globalnews.ca/news/1798043/where-to-recycle-compact-fluorescent-lights/ <-- says to take them to Canadian Tire, IKEA, or RONA (whatever that is). H. Depot is no longer taking them in Canada per this article.
Dunno, seems easy.
Same creek I toss my 12v car batteries and scrap tires in to. 
In reply to pres589:
T8 bulbs are not compact fluorescent; they're the long linear tubes. I suppose "full size" fluorescent in those terms. 8' would be "long wheelbase." ;)
@DatsunGuy: lead acid batteries are worth $.30/lb locally! Don't throw those in the creek. Tires are still worthless though so go ahead on those. Err...
12 year old me could have had alot of fun throwing those off something high and watching them pop and shatter with a very satisfying noise.
Source: when I was 12 a couple of mates and I came across a box of old fluros in an abandoned building Which we threw off the roof one at a time till there were none left. It was an awesome afternoon.
Datsun310Guy wrote: Same creek I toss my 12v car batteries and scrap tires in to.
Last I checked Advance auto parts will give you $10 store credit for any car battery.
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