@Lehigh74 posted:I recently tried to give some brand new, unused tubes to the local hardware store. They wouldn't take them, but the guy told me a trick to make disposal safer. There is a soft spot on the ends between the prongs. Stick an Ice pick / scratch awl on the soft spot and tap it with a hammer. That breaks the vacuum so the gas won't fly around so much when the tube is broken.
Yes but the coating on the inside of the tube is still hazardous and should be disposed of properly. Even the green-capped lamps still contain mercury as well. Fluorescent tubes are managed under EPA and DEC guidelines as universal waste and must be disposed of by a certified recycling facility. Same for the old magnetic ballasts. The really old ones contain PCB's too! 
check with your local municipality for proper disposal rules.
