Lamp Recycling

Research shows that there are more than 100 million fluorescent and highway lamps used in the United Kingdom each year which produce in excess of 3,100 tonnes of waste material which, until recently, has ended up in landfill sites.

Even though each lamp only contains a small amount or mercury the sheer volume of waste means that large quantities of hazardous mercury could find their way into our land and water supplies.

The mercury from only one fluorescent tube can contaminate up to 30,000 litres of water beyond a safe standard for drinking. Therefore the WEEE directive was put into place.

In order to recycle fluorescent light bulbs and other bulbs that contain mercury, the components of the bulbs are separated, the mercury removed, and the materials recycled. For example, the glass can be used for glass wool insulation and the mercury for scientific instruments.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic goods on the environment, by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE going to landfill. Therefore we at Light IQ are doing our bit for the environment and are a registered recycler of light bulbs in London.

Gas-containing energy efficient lamps need to be disposed of correctly in order to prevent the gases from being openly released into the atmosphere.

As of 1 st July 2007, the Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulation (WEEE) came in to force to regulate the disposal of Gas Discharge Lamps (GDL’s). It states that all GDL’s must be disposed of at an official lamp recycling point or collected by a registered organisation for correct disposal. Government regulations state that £0.15 + VAT can be charged per lamp to cover the recycling costs.

Please contact us to discuss the service we offer.