About Us
Recolight is the leading UK WEEE compliance scheme for the lighting industry, taking on responsibility for its Members’ WEEE compliance, giving their customers access to the UK’s most comprehensive free lamp collection and recycling service, and helping to ensure that as many lamps as possible are kept out of landfill.
Recolight’s comprehensive offering makes it the preferred WEEE scheme for the lighting industry, setting the standard for the sector.
- It is the only WEEE compliance scheme in the UK to provide integrated Lamp and Luminaire collection and recycling.
- It has the biggest UK-wide network of collection points for all WEEE lighting.
As a result, since its founding in 2007, Recolight has funded the recycling of over 370 million lamps, LEDs and luminaires, more than all other UK WEEE schemes put together.
Recycling isn’t always the best solution
Recolight go beyond recycling
Working with the lighting industry, Recolight offer support and services to help their Producer Members transition to a Circular Economy. With a Re-Use Service, workshops, webinars, Circular Lighting report, and Circular Lighting Live, Recolight is the Compliance Scheme that gives much more.
The UK’s Leading Specialist Weee Compliance Scheme For The Lighting Industry
- We were established by the UK lighting industry in 2005 primarily for the purpose of operating a Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Compliance Scheme on behalf of lamp producers in the UK.
- Our operating model is based upon one developed by the European Lamp Companies Federation (ELC) - a European Trade Association for lamp manufacturers - although the implementation is different in each country, reflecting the different national implementations of the WEEE Directive EC2002/94.
- The WEEE Regulations require producers of EEE and their compliance schemes to finance and put systems in place for the treatment - including recycling - of separately collected WEEE.
- We received scheme operator approval on 21 February 2007 and went live operationally on 2 July 2007.
- Through us, the lighting industry alone has been responsible for collecting and recycling more items of WEEE than any other sector.
Recolight Objectives
- Provide a producer compliance scheme which meets its Member's obligations under the UK WEEE regulations.
- Register lamp, LED and luminaire producers who have obligations under the WEEE Regulations as scheme Members.
- Finance and manage the separate collection and treatment of waste gas discharge lamps, LEDs and luminaires in an environmentally sound manner.
- Prevent all WEEE lighting from entering landfill, by going above and beyond our strict legal obligations.
- Interface with the appropriate authorities representing scheme participants' views and interests.
- Assist government bodies in the development of the WEEE Regulations and similar environmental interest legislation.
- Provide information to all interested parties, including distributors and end users, as to best practice concerning lamp recycling procedures and encourage the development of an effective collection network for end-of-life lamps prior to shipment to the recycling plants for treatment.
- Provide the UK's most comprehensive lamp recycling service to drive up the lamp recycling rate. Lamp recycling rates in the UK have grown faster than any other waste electrical equipment category, from 19% in 2008, to 48% in 2018, and to 68% in 2023.
- Increase the WEEE recycling rate for separately collected business luminaires. In 2012 the national collection rate was just 1%. Recolight put in place strategies to increase this rate and by 2023 it had risen to 7.3%.
Vision, Mission, Values
Our Vision
Our vision is a circular economy in which remanufacture and reuse are maximised,waste is minimised, and sustainable design and manufacture is prioritised.
Our Mission
Continue to expand the range of WEEE and circular economy services we offer to adapt to the changing needs of our Members and Collection Partners.
Aim to be net zero by 2030 and to set annual carbon footprint reduction targets in support of that goal.
Update our Members and customers with clear guidance on compliance.
Continually review and commit to minimising the environmental impact of the services we provide.
Actively encourage legislators to implement and enforce regulations that deliver the right outcomes for our Members, Collection Partners and the environment.
Work proactively and respond quickly to requests from Members and Collection Partners, and support them with clear guidance on compliance and best practice.
Maintain robust financials to provide a long term, sustainable solution for the collection and reuse of waste, driven by our history in the lighting industry.
Our Values
Integrity: We are committed to openness, transparency, and ethical conduct in every aspect of our business. We treat all our Members and Collection Partners with fairness.
Innovative: We drive change internally – in how we work; and externally – in the services we offer our Members and Collection Partners. We seek new ways to improve and excel in our industry.
Integrity: Generous with our knowledge: We have a wealth of experience, and are committed to providing the best service to our Members and Collection Partners.
Approachable: We are informative, helpful, and provide honest impartial advice.
Accountable: We are a member-owned, not-for-profit organisation with an exemplary record.
Adaptable: We set the standard by listening to our customers and building creative solutions.
The Recolight Team
Recolight is run by a professional and industry experienced team who are uniquely qualified to provide specialist recycling services and advice for all lighting in scope of the WEEE regulations.
Nigel Harvey
Chief Executive
Cindi Novell
Operations
Manager
Suzanne Castine
Marketing Manager
Adrian Willis
Membership
Development
Manager
Lyndsey Tweddle
Customer
Service
Manager
Max Robson PhD
Environmental
Metrics and
Training Manager
Working With
Recolight are actively involved and affiliated with a range of organisations who share our sustainability goals,
along with a fair and transparent implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility.
INSTITUTION OF LIGHTING PROFESSIONALS – ILP
Recolight are a corporate member of the ILP; an influential professional body, who are consulted by government on a wide range of issues, including legislation and regulations that affect the built environment. Their aim is to ensure that proposed measures are both effective and practicable, by serving on committees, and commenting on draft legislation, reports and consultations.
Lighting Industry Association – LIA
LIA is the trade association for the lighting industry. LIA’s primary purpose is to promote and develop the UK lighting market for the long term benefit of its members and all other stakeholders. As a member, Recolight works closely with LIA, helping to ensure that all key organisations working in the industry receive consistent advice and guidance on WEEE.
Society Of Light And Lighting – SLL
The SLL recognises the expertise of the lighting community in tackling the challenges which face us all, considering the climate emergency, global political uncertainty, rapid technological change, significant societal shifts, and skills shortages. As a Sustaining Member of the SLL, Recolight are part of a network of businesses who collaborate to give financial, technical and moral support to a wide range of Society initiatives.
The Green Light Alliance
An alliance of suppliers, specifiers, and educators with an objective to help everyone in the lighting sector understand their role in adopting and promoting the Circular Economy. The Green Light Alliance work towards industry standards that are universally recognised, trusted and sought-after. They invite you to join an alliance of suppliers, specifiers, and educators to shape the debate and make the difference.
Electrical Contractors Association – ECA
The ECA works with regulatory bodies, government and opinion formers to build an efficient and sustainable industry, based on high standards of training and practice. Through representation and lobbying, the ECA actively leads on key issues including safety, training, qualification and technological development. The ECA fully support Recolight, and recommends to their members that they join the Recolight collection network.
FIS PROJECT REUSE
The FIS and its members recognise the need to work to reduce the embodied carbon emissions and waste from the process. To this end, there is a growing appetite for enabling more reuse of products into commercial projects. Currently, some pre-demolition audits (very few pre-fitout audits) are carried out prior to the demolitions stage. The key question this project hopes to address is: how do we enable the routine reuse of these products in the commercial sector? Led by a group of intrepid pioneers, FIS has taken the plunge and set up a pilot storage facility in East London. This facility will help to isolate and resolve the issues that are blocking a more systemic approach to reuse of product in the fit-out world.
Joint Trade Associations
Recolight is a guest participant in the Joint Trade Associations (JTA). The JTA is an alliance of nine of the UK’s main trade associations representing the electrotechnical industries, including LIA, EEF, AMDEA, and TechUK. The JTA was formed to represent the views of EEE producers to Government and the market regarding producer responsibility obligations, including the WEEE Regulations. JTA is an unincorporated body and is not a legal entity.
The Industry Council For Electronic Equipment Recycling – ICER
Recolight are a member of ICER, an industry body that represents the WEEE sector. Members include producers of electronic and electrical equipment, compliance schemes, waste management companies, treatment facilities and recyclers. It is the forum for industry to work together with government and regulators on WEEE policy and implementation.
Recolight are also members of
Member of BSI GEL/111 committee on WEEE standards.
Member of BSI TPR1/1/7/4 committee on the lighting equipment remanufacture standard.
Nigel Harvey, Recolight CEO, is chairman of the WEEE Scheme Forum.