Recycling means processing used materials in order to create new materials or products. Gas Discharge Lamps in the UK were designated as Hazardous Waste on 16th July 2005, conferring a Duty of Care on Business end users (or their subcontractors) when the Waste is produced. End User pre-treatment before collection by a Recycler, such as on-site crushing, is not Recycling as such rather it is a method of beginning the Recycling process. From the implementation of the WEEE Regulations, which took place July 1st 2007, this Waste must only be treated, after this date, through bona fide recycling and recovery operations. Recolight has contracted with several competent and qualified Recycling companies to meet these requirements on behalf of its Members.

Recolight's Contractors: In order for Logistics or Lamp Recycling service providers to become contractors to Recolight, they must be able to demonstrate full compliance with all regulatory and licensing requirements that may exist. Lamp Recyclers must be able to operate as an Approved Authorised Treatment Facility (AATF) so that evidence notes may be issued to Recolight.

What Recolight Will Do

Following the implementation of the WEEE Regulations on July 1st 2007, Recolight (on behalf of its Producer members) became responsible for ensuring there is an infrastructure for the collection of WEEE lamps and to finance the costs of efficient, reliable and environmentally sound solutions for Lamp recycling. It will therefore continue to source these services to achieve this from Recycling and Logistics Operators who can demonstrate that they conform to the relevant statutory requirements of the Regulations and Standards.

Recolight specifies in its purchasing and tendering process the criteria to which potential Operators will have to conform. Recolight seeks Operators with the highest quality standard and certification to the relevant parts of ISO 14001 will assist the selection process.

Recolight will carry out regular audits with appointed Operators, which will be comprehensive and comply with the requirements of the UK WEEE Regulations and any other regulations set out by relevant parties such as DEFRA or The Environment Agency. This will ensure that the highest standards of recycling and practices are adhered to.

Recolight will finance the costs of collection and recycling from Designated Collection Facilities - (DCFs) and Commercial Collection Points - (CCPs) as required by the Regulations and will charge those costs to its members via an equitable formula.

NB: Where End Users require additional or customised services which go beyond the standard service that Recolight has developed (e.g collection of low volumes from their premises; non-standard containers; timed pick-ups etc) then the system is flexible enough to deal with that but the costs related to such services would be negotiated and dealt with directly between Recycling service providers and the End User.

Advice for End Users related to the Safe Handling and Disposal of Gas Discharge Lamps before depositing at a Collection point

The following information is provided as general guidance only and, relating to the safe handling and disposal of Gas Discharge lamps at life-end. It applies to Fluorescent, Compact Fluorescent, Mercury Vapour, Low and High-pressure Sodium and Metal Halide lamps.

Please note that all enquirers should ultimately rely upon their own assessment (and if necessary, legal advice) in ensuring they comply with all regulatory and licensing requirements e.g. the relevant parts of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Personal Protective Equipment at Work) 1992 should also be consulted by the End User and risk assessments made as required.

Routine Handling

Lamps are made of glass and must be considered as fragile and gently handled at all times. Accordingly, eye protection and gloves should be worn during lamp changing or handling. When lamps have been removed from service the principal physical hazard is broken glass. Placing them in a suitable container protecting them from accidental mechanical breakage or scratching, will avoid glass fracture and possible ejected fragments.

Accidental Breakage

Hazardous substances can be released when some lamp types are broken, (such as a small amount of liquid Mercury, Mercury Amalgam pellets, Phosphor powder and/or solid Sodium, depending on the lamp type).

The following general recommendations are made for dealing with lamps that have been broken accidentally:

• In the event of an accidental breakage the debris should be cleaned up as soon as possible. Care is necessary to prevent injury from broken glass. For fluorescent lamps, the generation and inhalation of airborne dust must also be avoided.
  
• For low-pressure sodium lamps avoid skin and eye contamination with debris and prevent exposure to moisture.
  

NB. During clean up operations, or whenever there is a risk that there may be broken glass, it is a requirement of the Health and Safety at Work Regulations-Personal Protective Equipment at Work 1992 that eye protection is worn.

Controlled Breakage

We recommend that the deliberate breaking of Gas Discharge lamps only take place through an authorised and approved recycling process.