New energy-efficient light bulbs are good for the environment, and they help you save on your electric bill, but before you make the switch, 4 On Your Side has a warning about the new bulbs: breaking one could be hazardous to your health!

Bill Fink loves the new compact fluorescent bulbs, which are also known as CFL's.

"I've replaced all but one in my house," he showed us. They're efficient, and save the Finks cash.

However, break one and you'll have a big problem. The bulbs contain mercury, which is toxic to people.

Sandra Solper wishes she'd known that before she broke one in her home.

"I was shocked," she told us. "It's dangerous, mercury. I didn't realize how dangerous that was. Now, I know how to properly dispose of it."

That disposal isn't so easy. You can't just grab the vacuum cleaner or sweep up the mess. You have to be careful.

Wess Damro, the Brown County Recycling Manager, offered these tips: "The best thing to do is open the windows, ventilate the room you're in, remove your small children. The most important thing is, don't panic."

The cleanup is complicated.

Scoop up broken pieces with a piece of cardboard and put them in a sealed bag.

Clean up the smallest pieces and dust with duct tape.

You can vacuum your carpet, but then remove the bag, put it in a sealed bag, and wipe down the vacuum cleaner.

If the glass or powder gets on your clothes or bedding, you should throw them away.

Even that's not easy. You can't just toss the pieces into the garbage. The DNR asks that you take it to a hazardous waste facility.

People we talked to didn't know how to dispose of the bulbs.

"I wasn't until you told me, so I'm glad I told you told me today," Bill Fink said.

"I'd say it'd be good to have something on the bulb itself: a warning label, hazardous material," Susan Solper stated.

Damro isn't sure that would be enough.

"Warning labels and info is always good, but your average consumer tends to ignore stuff like that," Damro said. He believes manufacturers need to make safer products.

"It'd be really beneficial to have a little more responsibility from start to finish. So we can make sure these things are handled properly," Damro believes.

So how do you get rid of them when they burn out? The DNR asks you recycle the bulbs, because of the mercury inside.

Businesses using CFL's must recycle them. So far, there's no law mandating how households dispose of them.