Recolight welcomes 10% rise in lamp recycling

Final recycling figures for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) published by the Environment Agency this month show that lamp recycling has risen sharply between 2011 and 2012, with the recycling rate increasing from 29.4% to 39.5%. The publication of the final data follows the release of provisional 2012 WEEE recycling figures in March (see letsrecycle.com story).

The data also shows that a year-on-year increase in lamp recycling since the first full year of recorded data in 2008, when the recycling rate stood at 23.2%, has continued.

The recycling rate is calculated by comparing the tonnage of waste gas discharge lamps collected for recycling, with the number of new lamps put onto the market by all UK producers. According to Recolight, the increase in recycling rates has been caused by a reduction in the tonnage of new lamps put on the market, without the

And, according to Recolight, the data shows that the lighting industry is one of the leading business sectors for recycling in the UK.

Non-household WEEE has had a traditionally low recycling rate since recycling performance, with a recorded collection rate of 4.98% throughout 2012, compared to a total of 35% for WEEE from households. Compliance schemes for the non-household WEEE sector have argued that there is a large amount of B2B WEEE being recycled or reused that does not enter the WEEE system.

B2B

Nigel Harvey, chief executive of Recolight, said: Recolight was established in 2005 by the UKs leading lamp producers GE, Osram, Havells Sylvania and Phillips, and now has 120 lamp producer members. The excellent recycling rates the UK has achieved have only been possible with the commitment of all Recolight members.

The lighting industry has set the benchmark for business WEEE recycling. We already know that our sector accounts for a higher proportion of business WEEE recycled over put-on-market EEE than any other industry. Now the 2012 figures demonstrate that we are well on the way to meeting the first set of higher targets outlined within the recast WEEE Directive.

This success is testament to the commitment of all our lamp producer and importer members, and also to the foresight of our founding members who created Recolights unique model. The continued commitment of our members ensures that the lighting industry maintains the highest levels of compliance with the WEEE Regulations now and in the future.

The news comes ahead of the governments proposed consultation on changes to the WEEE system that is being carried out to address concerns that businesses are paying too much to meet their WEEE recycling obligations and to bring in changes brought about by the recast of the WEEE Directive.