What happens to our recycling?

From the implementation of the WEEE Regulations in 2007, WEEE must only be treated through legitimate recycling and recovery operations. 

Recolight takes on the responsibility of its producer members 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. Recycling and Logistics Operators are sourced, who can demonstrate that they conform to the relevant statutory requirements of the Regulations and Standards, and our own additional criteria.

What we will do

Our purchasing and tendering process specifies the criteria to which potential Operators will have to conform. We seek Operators with the highest quality standards and certification to the relevant parts of ISO 14001 assists the selection process.

Regular audits are undertaken with appointed Operators, which are 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 is to make sure that the highest standards of recycling and practices are adhered to.

We finance the costs of collection and recycling from Designated Collection Facilities - (DCFs) and Commercial Collection Points - (CCPs) as required by the Regulations.

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 will usually be negotiated and dealt with directly between Recycling service providers and the End User.

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.

The recycling process

The materials recovered from the various processes used in the industry can be used in a number of different ways. It is feasible to recover the lamp phosphor powders, particularly the triphosphor type, and re-use them to make new lamps. The mercury collected, when purified to the right level, may also be used to make new lamps or it may be used in other industrial processes. The crushed glass may also be returned to be mixed with a new glass melt for a variety of applications, from furnace linings to making new lamps, though in this latter case the purity level of the recovered glass becomes very important.