According to the most recent facts and figures reported by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), of the 267.8 million tons of waste produced in the USA in 2017, approximately 94 million tons were recycled or composted.
Recycling paper, plastic, and glass has become a cultural norm in the US, but we could do even better. Lamp recycling is yet another way to green your business.
Does your retail store or business use fluorescent lighting? Most businesses use fluorescent lighting to save on energy and replacement costs, but fluorescent bulbs contain toxic mercury that can harm the environment and regulated as toxic waste. Luckily, you don’t have to pay expensive toxic waste removal companies to haul away your old bulbs.
Recycling your lamps is a hassle-free and environmentally friendly way to keep the lights on. It is surprisingly economical as well. We explain the basics of how lamp recycling works in this simple guide. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Lamp Recycling Basics
Fluorescent lamp recycling is made easy with a lamp recycler. We won’t get into the actual process of recycling lamps here, but we will say the process involves separating the glass, metal, and mercury so that the lamp can be 100% recycled. Here are a few lamp recycling tips to get you started.
1. Handle With Care
Fluorescent lamps can be dangerous to the health of your workers so special care should be given to training them on how to safely replace and store spent lamps. where leather gloves when working with fluorescent lamps to protect your hands if you accidentally break a tube.
Take extreme caution in handling broken tubes and never throw them in the trash. Always recycle fluorescent lamps even if broken. Follow OSHA and EPA regulations concerning the proper way to handle and manage broken bulbs.
2. Store Safely
Protect lamps from breakage by keeping them stored in a safe place. Store spent lamps in cardboard packaging specifically designed for the length of the tube. Proper packaging is required for shipping spent lamps and your recycling company will provide them for you making storing and shipping them easy.
Store the boxes of spare and spent bulbs in a specially designated area. Keep them away from high foot traffic and equipment. A storage closet or shed designated for the storage of lighting equipment and bulbs only is best.
3. Ask About Bulk Recycling
Larger buildings may use hundreds of bulbs to light up the workday and night. If you have a need for large-scale recycling it is a good idea to ask for special pricing. Generally speaking, the more bulbs you recycle at once the larger the savings when shipping.
Recycle With LampMaster
Lighting is of fundamental importance to your business and it makes good sense to have a system in place to keep your fluorescent lighting replacement as simple, safe, and efficient as possible.
Lamp recycling is our specialty. Recycle your lamps with us and rest assured that together we are doing our part to save the planet and keep your business running smoothly.