• Home
  • About
  • The Blog (news from our partners)
  • Manufacturers
    • Aimlite
    • Banvil
    • Canada Hand Dryers
    • Cooper Wiring Devices
    • Eiko
    • Etlin Daniels
    • GM Lighting
    • Green Creative
    • Heath/Zenith
    • IR-TEK
    • LiteLine
    • NDR Electric
    • NSI Tork
    • Plusrite
    • Standard Lighting Products
    • Sunpark
    • Venture
  • Partner Showcase
    • BC Hydro PowerSmart
  • Contact

Shadow's Blog

Some important facts about Fluorescent Lamps and how to dispose of them

7/29/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
Mercury containing lamps such as fluorescent lamps are an energy efficient choice that can be used in many lighting applications. Mercury is in fact an essential component and no viable replacement has been found at this time. Therefore, the use of fluorescent lamps, which are far more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs, can reduce energy consumption and may, as a result, decrease overall mercury releases. Through the Canada wide Standard for Mercury containing Lamps, manufacturers have committed to significant reductions in the amount of mercury in lamps. The best energy efficient lighting option remains choosing low-mercury, long-life fluorescent bulbs and disposing of end-of-life lamps properly.

Mercury-containing lamps should be treated as hazardous materials and should not be thrown in the garbage. Many municipalities have programs that accept household products that contain mercury. Some have implemented collection programs specifically for fluorescent bulbs, while others collect them as part of their household hazardous waste programs. If you wish to dispose of bulbs that were for personal use, you may wish to contact your local municipality or provincial authority for disposal information.

Tip: Keep your bulbs' original packaging and use it to store spent bulbs to prevent them from breaking in order to avoid mercury releases during transport to the disposal facility.

Depending on the circumstances and the quantities of waste, end-of-life fluorescent bulbs are in many cases classified as hazardous waste. This can be the case when commercial/industrial/institutional facilities generate waste fluorescent lamps. It is the responsibility of facility managers to be aware of the policies, legislation and initiatives that apply to their facility and the associated legal liability of the organization.

It is important that fluorescent lamps are properly disposed of in order to prevent mercury releases from the bulb. The best disposal method for fluorescent tubes is recycling. Used lamps must be handled carefully to ensure that they do not break or implode and release mercury. Fluorescent lamps should be left intact because of the dangers associated with mercury vapours, glass shards and dust. A convenient place to store lamps to prevent them from breaking is in the lamps' original packaging or in boxes that may be supplied by lamp recyclers. 

At Shadow Lighting we can advise you as to where you can recycle your old Fluorescent tubes as well as you PL style bulbs. (remember they are fluorescent to!!) If you have any questions please give us a call at 604-372-2400.


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2019
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015

    RSS Feed

Shadow Lighting & Supplies Inc.
8390 - 188th Street
Surrey, BC
Ph: 604-825-2142
Contact: info@shadowlighting.ca