Recolight’s comprehensive offering makes it the preferred WEEE scheme for the lighting industry, setting the standard for the sector. It is the only WEEE compliance scheme in the UK to provide integrated Lamp and Luminaire collection and recycling. It has the biggest UK-wide network of collection points for all WEEE lighting. As a result, since its founding in 2007, Recolight has funded the recycling of over 370 million lamps, LEDs and luminaires, more than all other UK WEEE schemes put together.
Recycling isn’t always the best solution, Recolight go beyond recycling.
Working with the lighting industry, Recolight offer support and services to help their Producer Members transition to a Circular Economy. With a Re-Use Service, workshops, webinars, Circular Lighting report, and Circular Lighting Live, Recolight is the Compliance Scheme that gives much more.
Recycling luminaires with traditional and LED sources
Most luminaires are recycled in the same way as most other mixed WEEEitems. This includes luminaires based around traditional and LED technologies. Assuming the luminaire is not suitable for refurbishment and re-use, the objective of treatment is to separate the fitting into its constituent materials (plastics, metals, etc.).
LED lamp recycling
LED lamps are almost invariably co-collected with fluorescentlamps. This means there is a risk of mercury contamination.This is because unavoidable breakages in general containerswill cause some fugitive emissions. Therefore, they must be treated as mercury bearing lamps.
Lamp recycling process
Lamp recyclers use different recycling technologies although the principles are all broadly similar. Waste lamps are fed into the recycling plant under negative air pressure. The lamps are then crushed using a mechanical process, and the negative air pressure ensures that the mercury vapour released is captured in activated carbon filters and not vented to theenvironment. The crushed materials then pass through a range of different systemsdesigned to separate them from each other. The output fractions are collected in separate containers, and then sent for further recovery.
