WASTE LAMP DISPOSAL - FAQs

• How has legislation changed regarding lamp disposal?
• How will this affect our current lamp disposal methods?
• Can I still landfill fluorescent tubes and other waste lamps?
• Do I have to recycle?

Balcan aim to give the answers !

If you currently have waste mercury lamps, Balcan are able to recycle these.  Our unique lamp recycling service and system allows us to recycle 100% of the lamps we crush or collect.

CURRENT LEGISLATION REGARDING FLUORESCENT TUBES 
• Landfill Directive - In place since 16 July 2004
• EWCS - In Place 
• Hazardous Waste Directive
• WEEE Regulations - Implemented on 1 July 2007 
 
Under the LANDFILL DIRECTIVE, in July 2002 all landfill sites registered what type of site they intended to become in 2004, e.g. hazardous or inert. Approximately 250 registered that they would be hazardous (but this does not necessarily mean they will accept fluorescent tubes) and they had until July 2004 to get up to "standard". However, these "standards" for hazardous waste were very tight and there are now approximately ten remaining since legislation came into force.

This means that because of the EWC (European Waste Catalogue), which designated fluorescent tubes and other mercury bearing waste as hazardous these will only be able to be disposed of to a hazardous waste site. 

Does this mean I have to recycle my fluorescent tubes and other waste lamps?

It is now virtually impossible to landfill seperately collected mercury bearing lamps and therefore the only other option is, indeed, lamp recycling.  Under the Landfill Directive, lamps will have to have their hazardous component removed prior to landfill and this can only be achieved by recycling. 
  

Is there legislation forcing lamp recycling?

Yes. The WEEE Directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) have moved us another step closer to this.  The WEEE regulations require any product which is classed as WEEE to be sent to a recovery / recycling process. This legislation sets targets for all EU countries to achieve for recycling their waste electrical and electronic equipment. The target for lamps recycling is 80%. In 2002, approximately 4 million of the alleged 100 million fluorescent tubes in circulation were recycled.  This figure rose to nearly 7 million in 2003 and just under 13 million in 2004.  In 2005 the number of recycled lamps rose in excess of 20 million due to the Landfill Directive, hazardous waste regulations and the forthcoming WEEE directive and the figure for 2007 was approximately 30 million.

What is the waste classification for fluorescent tubes? 

Fluorescent tubes and other gas discharge lamps containing mercury are classed as Hazardous (EWC code 20 01 21).
 
Do Balcan recycle waste lamps?

YES.  Balcan, designed and manufactured their own lamp  bulb recycling plant.  Lamp recycling is the only disposal route for waste lamps of all types.  Our lamp recycling plant has been specifically designed to allow us to be able to accept whole or crushed fluorescent tubes and we offer virtually 100% recycling with markets for all the by products, ie. glass, end caps & mercury bearing powder.  The Balcan Lamp Recycling facility produces some of the cleanest glass possible and is considered to be one of the cleanest facilities in Europe.  We always aim to set the industry standard.

Do Balcan still landfill?

NO. Whilst landfilling waste lamps may still be an option to some, Balcan do not offer this option to their clients.  Since the introduction of the Landfill Directive and the WEEE Directive, recycling is now the only option offered.

Clients who own lamp & bulb crushers can have them converted to allow the debris to be processed through our recycler.