HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Environmental Protection Agency is warning consumers to dispose of the new compact fluorescent light bulbs properly.

The agency said that if a bulb is broke, it releases a powder that contains mercury.

The EPA recommends that anyone who breaks a bulb, open windows and scoop up the mercury using paper or cardboard.

The agency said that the broken pieces should not be cleaned with a vacuum.

Consumers who use the bulbs, should not dispose of them in the trash. The bulbs should be disposed of during hazardous waste collection.

For a list of hazardous waste collections in Connecticut, visit the state EPA's Web site.