Are there any countries that punish private consumers for owning banned bulbs or require banned bulbs to be destroyed? For example, are there countries that would lock people in jail for possessing T12 fluorescent tubes, incandescent lamps, or mercury vapor lamps or require electrical supply stores to destroy existing stock of bulbs banned by legislation?

I think no.

Cuba

You've asked this and similar questions before, I see no reason to ask it again.

You've asked this and similar questions before, I see no reason to ask it again.

I remember that too.

At the risk of repeating myself, it seems most jurisdictions if not all (in the west at least) aim commercial activity with those "bans". And even then, used items are often explicitly exempted, which allows thrift stores, "Salvation Army" stores and the like to sell "banned" lighting equipment. I just can't see how owning a collection of such lamps and fixtures would ever be problematic.

MAYBE if one owns such an enormous collection, handled in a terrible way, a theoretical environmental risk could be claimed. But I imagine it would require insane amounts of lamps and fixtures, and then would it still be sufficient to justify a seizure? Probably not before a number of warnings.

But heh, I'm no lawyer, just my two cents. 

If you live in America, you won't get punished since it is a free country! You could light up your bedroom with an MV if you wanted too!
 :mv:I actually enjoy doing it!

As far as I know, nor owning, nor trade was ever banned. What was banned is (term used by EU legislation, US will have something equivalent) is "introduction to the EU market", so affecting just the manufacture and import. If a lamp is "present on the market", so it exist whithin the EU borders, it is not affected at all. So if there exist a warehouse full of 500W incandescents (banned since 2009), these can be freely sold and resold within the EU as you wish. But you are not allowed to manufacture a 500W GLS incandescent, nor import from outside of the EU.
Of course, new installations are to some extend considered new products, so they have to conform to the code valid at the point of commissioning, while that new code ma not allow the use of some old inefficient technology anymore. But when the installation was co missioned 70 years ago, it has to just conform to the code valid at that 70-year-ago point in time, that is all (in case of overhauls, the overhauled parts may be done according to the code valid at the time of overhaul, as materials required by the original code may not be available anymore).

I would doubt there would be any real difference anywhere else in the world. Maybe just the used terminology.

California was an exception to the typical manufacture/import ban.  In 2020 a sales ban affecting many of the most common incandescent/halogen lamp sizes went into effect.  Due to it being a sales ban, existing inventory could not be liquidated.  I recall at the time a couple members here recounting tales of bringing up affected lamps up to the counter only to have the clerk tell them no, and proceed to throw the lamp in the garbage, as well as witnessing staff clearing bulbs off shelves for disposal.  It is legal in CA to install the lamps purchased prior to the ban, as long as they're being used by the owner and not re-sold.  I am not aware of an exemption for private sales, though I don't believe individuals would actually be penalized in practice for low volume sales or trades.

If a private buyer is buying banned lighting from another country to have it shipped by a forwarder to their home country, is that considered “import” and would bulb bans prevent private buyers from having banned bulbs forwarded to their home countries if they chose to buy such bulbs?

For example, would it be illegal for a US citizen to privately buy a standard halophosphate F40T12 fluorescent tube in Mexico and have a forwarder ship the tube to their home in the US?

Shouldn't be an issue . I've personally sold & shipped lamps to several members of which the lamps I sent were banned in their country with absolutely no issues whatsoever . All I wrote was "antique lightbulb" under the item description on the customs paperwork and all was fine. NOW , had I wrote "mercury vapor lightbulb" , THAT , might have had a different outcome . If the inspectors don't know there's something illegal in the package , they're way less likely to bother to look.

 The USPS  asks you if your package contains mercury or other hazardous chemicals. I just tell them no .

Yeah as long are you're not importing large quantities for resale and are only importing a small amount for personal use I've never had trouble importing old "banned" lighting. Even the times when the seller was specific in calling it "Sylvania H37KC. Mercury Lamp" I didn't get any issues importing. I think for personal use quantities it's not worth the trouble for customs inspectors to enforce such a rule. Most of the time when I import stuff, they don't even bother to send me a bill for the import tax and duties even though technically anything above $40 CAD is suppose to be taxed.

I've never been asked about the mercury content when I've sent out lamps to other members either.

Now that said, your experience will vary as this can vary between countries/states/etc.

At least in Europe, even taking a single lamp from the outside of the EU is technically an import, so falls under the "introduction to the market".
But at the same time one may say e.g. US spec lamps can not be considered general lighting service, but "special bulbs" (as there is no replacement for them on the European market), so that way exempt from the ban. Same could be said about artifact of clearly historic value (again, not a general service lamps).

But the fact is, individual import of few pieces usually is just "flying under the radar"...

[...]

I think for personal use quantities it's not worth the trouble for customs inspectors to enforce such a rule. Most of the time when I import stuff, they don't even bother to send me a bill for the import tax and duties even though technically anything above $40 CAD is suppose to be taxed.

[...]

I believe if the item was manufactured within NAFTA territory it's not supposed to be taxed regardless of its value. I don't recall ever having to pay import taxes for US-manufactured lamps either, despite the orders often exceeding the then-$20 limit.

I was dinged at customs (Canada Post) for a glass ball lamp harp finial because it was considered jewelry. I don’t remember the numbers but it almost doubled the price + shipping.