Here's a good resource from EPA on how to safely clean up a broken Compact Flourescent Lightbulb

Good news from Home Depot:

Home Depot announced it will offer free Compact Flourescent light bulb (CFL) recycling at each of its 1,973 locations. Customers can drop off expired, unbroken bulbs at the returns counter of any Home Depot store.

The home improvement retailer is beginning the program in response to customers´ concerns about improper disposal of the bulbs, which contain small amounts of mercury.

Various companies sell pre-paid recycling kits.  You can just pack your old CFLs in the box and ship it to the recycler.  The kit includes all the packing materials, pre-paid shipper, etc.  Search, for example in Google Shopping, with a search like "CFL disposal".  I've seen kits as low as $20 that allow you to recycle 6 or more small bulbs.  I just keep one in the house and (slowly) add bulbs to it (I think I have one dead bulb at the moment).

There are tons of resources of this site, such as Pass it On, a guide to Donating Usable stuff!
http://www.cuyahogaswd.org/residents/mercury.htm

There have been some sensational headlines about Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFLs) intimating that they are not as environmentally friendly as first reported. The truth is with 80 percent greater efficiency than normal light bulbs and less heat radiation, CFLs are definitely a better lighting choice for the environment.

With all that said, one CFL concern is disposal. CFLs—and all florescent lighting—contain mercury which poses a threat to human health and the environment if improperly disposed.

Mercury is toxic to the nervous system, affecting the brain, spinal cord, kidneys and liver. It accumulates in the tissues of fish and other organisms inhabiting mercury-contaminated waters and builds up in the tissues of organisms higher up the food chain. Exposure is particularly significant for children and pregnant women because mercury inhibits the development of the brain and the nervous system.

While the amount of mercury is small, the cumulative effect is significant when it ends up in landfills. All this means that CFLs should never go into your household trash. Hazardous products in the trash can endanger sanitation workers, damage collection vehicles, or leak into the environment.

The Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District provides free mercury disposal for households (not businesses) at six locations—which will take common items that contain mercury include fever thermometers, thermostats and switches found in appliances.

“We are working to develop a collection program with our existing six mercury collection sites in the county,” explains Diane Bickett, Deputy Director of the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District. “Ideally, we hope retailers will take them back for recycling but until then, people can call the Solid Waste District (216-443-3749) for a referral to one of our mercury drop offs for recycling.”

Also twice a year the Solid Waste District will accept CFL's at its Household Hazardous Waste Round-Up event. The next one will be held on September 15 at the Berea county fairgrounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There is also a Cleveland hazardous waste drop-off August 20 to 25 (5600 Carnegie) and 3727 Ridge Rd (weekdays 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

Other items deemed hazardous can be disposed of year-round such as motor oil, antifreeze, propane tanks, aerosol cans, alkaline batteries and rechargeable batteries—locations can be found on the Solid Waste District website.

Flourescent bulbs are recyclable but not through most traditional curbside recycling programs.   Contact your city's division of waste to ask.  I live in Lakewood and they accept bulbs if you are a Lakewood resident and if you take them to the refuse and recycling building. 

 Cindy