by Brianna Crandall — August 8, 2012—Continuing bulb recycling specialist Recolight’s ongoing efforts to provide accessible low-energy light bulb recycling for facilities professionals and others across the U.K., the District Council of Stroud in Gloucestershire has officially launched a new program providing bulb recycling facilities across the District. Specially designed recycling containers have been placed in nine locations across the across the District, with a further site to be added soon.
All low-energy light bulbs collected will be sent for recycling at approved treatment facilities. Modern low-energy light bulbs typically last over six times as long as, and use a quarter of the power of, an equivalent incandescent bulb, notes Recolight. Most importantly, low-energy light bulbs are designed to save energy and reduce costs.
Recolight and FM World’s recent survey of facilities managers and FM companies in the U.K. found significant differences in attitudes to and awareness about light bulb recycling. According to Recolight, one surprising finding was the finding that 42% of FM companies surveyed continue to pay for bulb recycling, unaware that free recycling may be available to them through the U.K.’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive). The company was encouraged to see that 65% of FMs and companies surveyed recycle all of the waste bulbs they collect.
Recolight recently expanded access to bulb-recycling facilities by lowering the threshold companies need to meet to qualify for free-of-charge lamp recycling. Whereas previously businesses had to collect 1000 lamps every three months to be eligible, now businesses collecting 1000 lamps every six months can also benefit from Recolight’s free collection services. The lower threshold allows more electrical contractors, FMs, and other electrical businesses that collect smaller quantities less regularly, to arrange for their waste lamps to be recycled easily and cost-effectively.
