Fluorescent lamp disposal

[ians]

This has become an issue ... how do you dispose of your old lamps?

At one stage there was a drum at one of the wholesalers and you could just drop them off ... I was told it got too expensive.

I am starting to wonder if it shouldn't be the responsibility of the companies who made these lamps to dispose of them in a safe manner ... they made them they should have a facility to dispose of them.

We use to have great fun throwing them into the bins and watch how they explode ... now I am reading that the mercury content is hectic and dangerous ... we talking 100 plus lamps a day ... back when lamping every 5 years was a big thing.

The big question how dangerous?

[Justloadit]

Contact these guys https://www.enviroserv.co.za/contact

[ians]

This has become rather important especially if you do a full factory LED conversion and you have hundreds of lamps to dispose.

I noticed you can buy a drum with a machine attached ... however until there some form of public awareness and laws enforced etc ... its looks like dumping lamps into skips is the only affordable solution for now.

I must say I am surprised this hasnt been addressed a long time ago ... there are millions of these lamps dumped on landfills ... surely they haven't only figured out the mercury content recently.

Surely all the places which sell these type of lamps should have recycling bins ?

[GCE]

Hi

As far as I am aware a new law was passed back in 2016 with regards to lamp disposal.

Again as per normal the regulations appear to be over the top in relation to the disposal of lamps.
You are forced to buy a hazardous waste disposal box that you fill with your old tubes. You may not transport this box unless you have a license to transport hazardous material according to the regulations which means another cost .

What I found strange was that new lamps are allowed to be transported around willy nilly but when they become old it is a problem.

Have pasted an article below , I don't seem to have the gazette anymore but will attempt to find it



Don't be Left in the Dark- Ban on disposing of fluorescent tubes and lamps coming into effect in a month.

Oricol Environmental ServicesClick here to view Oricol Environmental Services’ profile
Oricol Environmental Services
Oricol Environmental Services
Published Jul 22, 2016
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As of the 23 August 2016, no Hazardous Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Lamps in any form will be accepted at landfill according to National Environmental Management Waste Act (NEMWA) - Act no 59 of 2008 (Government Gazette, No. 10008, Volume 578, No. 36784, dated 23 August 2013, page 44). Chapter 2,point 5 ( waste disposal restrictions)

Oricol has been providing recycling of fluorescent tubes via our ORIPACK collection system since 2014, so we are pleased that the new legislation will drive greater recycling of fluorescent tubes and encourage more businesses to 'Turn Waste into a Resource.'

Recycled fractions of fluorescent tubes include glass, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, plastic, mercury and phosphor powder can all be recovered and used in suitable end processes and products.

[ians]

It makes you wonder about the regs and who makes them ... clearly someone saw an opportunity for a quick buck.

[Dave A]

We have been collecting and safely disposing our fluorescent tube waste for years now. Some of our clients even demand a safe disposal certificate.

At first we bought the special "fluorescent tube waste container" from a disposal company (basically an outrageously expensive cardboard box). Ultimately though, the issue is safe handling, and ensuring containment of the hazardous portion of the waste in the event of breakage. As mentioned above, these things come in packaging when new, so we use the boxes the new tubes come in to collect the old tubes, handle with care to ensure no breakages, and once a year run it out to EWaste Africa in Pietermaritzburg.

You definitely need to factor in the cost of disposal of the old tubes when pricing your service to the client.

[ians]

Dave I was chatting to a person in Cape town ... who suggested the company in PMB ... and apparently they collect ... I am told they drop off boxes then collect once all the boxes are full.

Doing the right thing certainly starts adding up expenses.

I have spent this week "sorting out" stuff ... covid has prevented us from going to site again ... so it has been DOL registrations ... setting up COD accounts with solar distributors ... cleaning the workshop (man We collect a lot of rubbish) all the electrical waste ... wood from one my hobbies and piles of aluminium from another hobby.

Silly things like old lamps (about 100) ... plastic trunking off cuts (man we install a lot of PVC trunking) ... old energy saving flood lights ( another thing the steel scrap yard no longer accept from us) ... then I go to the dump to find they now only accept building rubble ... the next closest dump is about 100 km away ... now I know why people are just dumping stuff on the side of the road ... I went back to the workshop ... and cut everything small enough to fit into black rubbish bags and ended up with more than 40 black bags for rubbish days.

I decided to clean the cables this time ... instead of a couple hundred buck ... I got a couple thousand rand.

I need to make 2 machines .... a lamp disposal crusher and a wire stripper.

One thing I have learnt from this weeks cleaning experience ... those days of tidying up on site and packing the rubbish/lamps/off cuts etc ... then loading it in the van to bring back to the workshop to dispose ... are over.

[ians]

Cost to dispose of old lamps?

I contacted a few places but nobody wanted to commit and I just got shuffled from one person to the next ... when I have some free time I will try again ... just too many things going on at the moment.

[Dave A]

From memory, I think my last lot cost about R4 to R5 per tube/lamp. The batch was over 1000 tubes/lamps.
Transport was extra, and more than my direct cost to transport it myself (I tie it up to when we have a trip to PMB anyway), which is why we took the load in to them rather than have them collect.

[Dylboy]

Was at the local spar this morning and saw this, so perhaps there is an option. Not sure how they would feel if you dropped a 100 of them but then I think Build-It may take it at one of there main shops.


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[ians]

It is good to see companies who sell lamps ... taking responsibility for the disposal of the lamps ... It should be a law ... if you sell you should have a collection point.

[Dylboy]

I agree I know woolies have a box for batteries and I think bulbs too, will try comfrim when ever I go past again

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