Universal waste containers that could be transported by common carrier were first introduced in 1998. The first containers were primarily used to ship fluorescent lighting. Initially, these containers were simple corrugated boxes, with some including a plastic bag inside the box. Since the contents were made of glass, they were designed primarily to contain the contents within the shipping container. Given the fact that mercury begins to vaporize at 70 degrees F, we realized that packaging improvements were needed to address the issue of potential mercury vapor release in the event of breakage during accumulation and transport.

At about the same time, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection published a study dealing with the potential exposure of mercury due to broken bulbs in the workplace in the "Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association." This study concluded that... "Elevated airborne levels of mercury could exist in the vicinity of recently broken bulbs, and under certain conditions, mercury concentrations could exceed occupational exposure limits." This study validated our concerns that a better method of containment was required to protect consumers and transporters against the release of mercury in case of breakage and to satisfy both OSHA and Universal Waste regulations. Our patented recycling solution that includes our zip-sealed Mercury VaporLok® foil bag was the answer. A recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health further validated our concerns. This study was also published in the same journal in their March 2009 issue and found that most containers used for storage and transportation of used fluorescent lamps do not adequately protect against mercury vapors emitted from broken lamps. The study tested five box designs and the only design capable of passing ALL current Federal AND State regulations and guidelines used our Mercury VaporLok® bag.

The following chart shows how the Mercury VaporLok® container performed compared to other container designs when tested against OSHA and other more stringent State personnel exposure standards.