Island Waste Management believes most fluorescent light bulbs are ending up in the landfill. (CBC)

Only 40 per cent of fluorescent bulbs on P.E.I. are being disposed properly, Island Waste Management Corporation estimates, so the agency is looking at making throwing them away easier.

But that could cost consumers money.

The bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, so they should be dropped off at one of six hazardous waste depots across the Island.

"Any amount of these that do end up going into waste or into the landfill, you know, collectively when you add them up there's a lot of bulbs," says IWMC CEO Gerry Moore.

IWMC is exploring adding a stewardship fee of a couple of cents to the light bulbs at point-of-sale. That would give the agency the resources it needs to add more drop-off locations.

"The thing that we're looking at is probably try to make it maybe a little more convenient," said Moore.

"You know, to take one bulb into a drop-off centre and you have to drive 15 kilometers or so on, it's a little inconvenient. So we're looking at other opportunities to make it more convenient for people to drop them off at more convenient locations."

Moore said these locations could include point-of-purchase or grocery stores, similar to Waste Watch's battery recycling program.

Similar stewardship programs already exist in British Columbia and Quebec.

For mobile device users: Would more drop off locations for fluorescent bulbs make it more likely you would dispose of them properly?