First in the World to develop a Light Bulb Recycling Reverse Vending Machine

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Why recycle Domestic Light Bulbs?

The United Nations have urged a global phase-out of old style light bulbs and a switch to low-energy lighting that would save billions of dollars and help combat climate change.Source
This opens an enormous opportunity to automate the safe collection of old incandescent light bulbs and old CFL light bulbs and reward the recycler with an incentive voucher. Low-energy light bulbs will start reaching their end-of-life in large volumes over the next few years.

• Recycling prevents the release of mercury into the environment. CFL - Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs and other mercury-containing bulbs often break when dropped into a dumpster, trash can or compactor or when they end up in a landfill or incinerator.
• Other materials in the bulbs can be reused. Recycling CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs allows the reuse of the glass, metals and other materials that make up compact fluorescent lights. Virtually all components of a compact fluorescent bulb, including metal end caps, glass tubing, and phosphor powder, can be separated and recycled. Recyclers often sell the metallic portions as scrap metal. The recycled glass can be remanufactured into other glass products. The mercury can be recycled into new fluorescent lamps and other mercury-containing devices

 

What are the WEEE regulations?

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment WEEE Regulations S.I. 2006:3289 and the WEEE Amendment Regulations 2007 S.I. 3454 stem from an EU Directive of the same name and that Directive has now been rolled out across all EU countries. It came into full legal effect in the UK in July 2007 The Directive is starting to be rigorously enforced throughout Europe.

 

Is it safe to collect CFL Light bulbs in a machine?

Yes, the reVend Light Bulb Recycling machines comply with all relevant Legislation. The machine has a bespoke soft drop system and an on-board mercury extractor filter to capture any released mercury vapour fumes. Energy Saving Light bulbs function in much the same way as a fluorescent tube. They contain which allows them to deliver their substantial energy saving benefits.
Although lighting manufacturers have greatly reduced the amount of mercury used in lighting over the past 20 years, they are unable to completely eliminate the need for mercury. Millions of mercury containing lamps are sold in the United States and throughout Europe each year.
Most are improperly discarded.
The amount of mercury in a single fluorescent lamp is relatively small, however, collectively a large numbers of fluorescent lamps significantly contributes to the amount of mercury that is released into the environment.
The EPA encourages the recycling of all mercury-containing lamps.

 

What happens when the machine needs to be emptied?

The machine sends an email or a text to the waste management company to inform that the machine needs to be emptied

 

 

How do we know how many light bulbs have been collected?

The machine has an on-board computer that enables real - time (& auditable) recycling statistics to be collated and downloaded

 

Why phase-out of old-style light bulbs?

The United Nations urged a global phase-out of old-style light bulbs and a switch to low-energy lighting that it said would save billions of dollars and combat climate change. These are the amounts of money and the carbon dioxide saved by the various countries yearly, as cited by the UN:

• Indonesia, $1 blllion a year
• Brazil, $2 blillion a year
• Mexico, $900 million a year
• Ukraine, $210 million a year
• South Africa, $280 million a year

Similar findings come from other country assessments, said Achim Steiner, head of UNEP. Source

If you have any questions, please send them to us and we will include them in the above

 

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