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No, PVC is not biodegradable and will not break down on its own in a landfill. The PVC that ends up in landfills will stay there indefinitely. The only way PVC breaks down is in the presence of extreme heat or when it comes in contact with chemical treatments specifically intended to break down the polymers.

Since you can’t recycle vinyl flooring, you can either use curbside pickup or call your municipality or a junk removal company and ask for instructions on pickup or disposal. You can also choose a dumpster rental service, which is especially convenient if you’re in the midst of a large renovation project and have other materials you need to dispose of.

When it’s time to dispose of your old AC unit, first make sure a pro helps you recover any refrigerant left in the system, per federal law (the Clean Air Act), according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Check with your city’s waste management department, or ask the retailer you purchased the new AC unit from if they take old units for recycling. Another option is to check for a Recycling Facilities Servicing partner of the EPA. These facilities are trained for proper refrigerant removal and AC unit disposal.

Not every, but many, states classify fluorescent tubes and CFL light bulbs as hazardous waste that need to be disposed of in a specified manner. California defines its list of hazardous fluorescent tubes as follows:

• Fluorescent tubes, including low mercury tubes.

• Compact fluorescents, including low mercury lamps

• Metal halide lamps, such as floodlights for  large indoor and outdoor areas and gymnasiums

• Sodium lamps, such as those sometimes used as security lighting and outdoor floodlights

• Mercury vapor lamps, such as those sometimes used for street lighting