Section Links
Recolight and CoBRA partner to increase light-bulb recycling
Date: 9/7/2010
Recolight, the specialist WEEE compliance scheme for the lighting industry, has announced a partnership with multi-award winning recycling scheme, CoBRA (Community Bulb Recycling Alliance) to increase consumer access to collection facilities for low-energy light-bulbs.
Founded by Mark David Hatwood in 2007, CoBRA was initially established to provide community recycling for waste batteries. The scheme works by recruiting volunteers to place collection containers in community locations and then take responsibility for collecting the waste and taking it to a central collection facility.
Through this partnership with Recolight, the CoBRA scheme will be adapted to provide community collection of low-energy light-bulbs, using Recolight’s innovative new in-door light-bulb collection container.
Announcing the partnership, Recolight CEO Nigel Harvey said; “This is an important and exciting partnership which will open up vital new channels for the public to recycle their old low-energy light-bulbs. Through CoBRA, volunteers will be able to place our specially designed collection containers in community locations making it easier to recycle their old light-bulbs as part of their everyday routine.”
The scheme is expected to go live in September. Mark David Hatwood explains; “Volunteers will be able to register online to comply with health and safety regulations regarding the transportation of waste. They will then be sent a collection container and a transportation box. We hope that once the scheme gets underway it can prove to be as successful as the battery scheme which collected over 35 tonnes of batteries in just two years.”
About CoBRA
The CoBRA scheme (Community Battery Recycling Alliance) was initiated by Mark David Hatwood in 2007. Mark approached his County Council and asked for permission to collect batteries on behalf of his community. At the time this wasn’t possible, but after six week’s negotiation, Mark was eventually given dispensation by both the Environment Agency and the County to run a trial scheme in his village – the first of its kind anywhere in the UK.
Over the following months, as word of what he had achieved reached the press, the scheme grew as Mark helped other concerned volunteers set up similar collection points in their own communities. He then created the www.CobraScheme.co.uk website – an aid to help others find their local collection point, to inform the public about the importance of battery collection, and attract new volunteers to the scheme.
Within 12 months over 58 collection points were created throughout Cornwall and Isles of Scilly collecting in excess of 35 tonnes of batteries in just two years – most of which (29 Tonnes) were collected in the second year of its initiation. The CoBRA Scheme went on to win four national awards in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and now the scheme is available to all counties throughout the UK.
About Recolight
Recolight is a not-for-profit producer-led compliance scheme specialising in the recycling of gas discharge lamps (GDLs) in accordance with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations. This includes compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) such as energy-saving light bulbs. Recolight was established by the UK lamp producers who account for a significant share of the UK market. Its members are producers and importers of WEEE who put new lamps on the market for the first time in the UK, and are therefore obliged to comply with the WEEE Regulations. Recolight offers specialist lamp recycling services, advice and support to help all parties in the supply chain recycle their lamps as simply and efficiently as possible. For more information visit the Recolight website www.recolight.co.uk
For further information contact Magdalen Bush / Paul Childs
Telephone: 020 7534 0620
