Intact Fluorescent Lamp Recycling

Fluorescent lamps are great for cutting down on energy costs and for saving your facility money. But because every fluorescent lamp contains mercury, a toxic substance, they must be recycled in order to prevent leakage that occurs through improper disposal. If your facility has a large amount of lamps, utilizing bulk pickups can help keep your workplace safe and the environment clean.

WITH AIR CYCLE LAMP BULK PICKUPS YOU CAN:

• Have large amounts of lamps picked up at your facility at your convenience
• Save money over other recycling solutions designed for smaller amounts of waste
• Recycle almost any type of lamp
• Track your recycling progress online 24/7with online recycling reports
• Certify your progress for regulatory or management review with Recycling Certificates

Interested? Schedule a Pickup.

Contact us with any questions you may have.

FAQs

Why recycle fluorescent lamps?

Replacing normal incandescent lamps with fluorescents can save facilities money by cutting down on energy costs. However, every fluorescent lamp contains the toxin mercury, which can cause major environmental and health problems if it is released from lamps through improper disposal methods, such as throwing bulbs in the trash. Lamp recycling that removes the mercury is essential for any facility that wants to help keep its workplace safe and the environment healthy.

What types of lamps can be recycled?

Types of lamps recycled include but are not limited to:

• Straight Fluorescent (all lengths and diameters)
• Compacts Fluorescent (both with and without ballast)
• Circular
• U-bend
• UV Lamps (all sizes)
• Flood Lamps
• Incandescent
• Halogen
• HID (High Pressure Sodium, Metal Halide, Biax, High Intensity, Bi-Metal)
• Shattershield or Coated Lamps (all sizes)

What about crushed lamps?

No problem. We are able to pick up and recycle crushed or intact lamps. If your facility utilizes a lamp crusher such as the Bulb Eater, all you have to do is leave your crushed lamps in the attached 55-gallon drum and we will take care of the rest. Visit our Crushed Lamps page for more details.

How do I know if bulk pickups are right for me?

Generally, bulk pickups are designed for facilities with over 150,000 square feet or with large amounts of lamp waste. Because bulk pickups are scheduled at your convenience, you are able to decide when you want to receive them according to your facility’s needs.

How can I track my recycling progress?

Online recycling reports allow anyone who has utilized bulk pickup recycling services to receive detailed information about their facility’s recycling progress. Each report details specifically what types of waste were recycled, the amount recycled, and the date processed. These reports are available online 24/7 and are perfect for facility management reviews, “green” marketing initiatives, and more.

How should I package my lamps for pickup?

Intact Lamps - All lamps must be packaged in a manner to "minimize" breakage. The OEM box is the most popular method of packaging. If the OEM box is not available, fiber drums are a simple alternative. Because they have lids, fiber drums provide a time advantage to boxing and taping. All lamps must be free of foreign material, including tape (on the actual lamp) and paper sleeves.

Crushed Lamps - Crushed lamps must be sealed in a steel 55-gallon drum complete with locking ring and lid. There cannot be any extraneous material such as wire, trash, or liquids in the drum or it will be returned.

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) - Lamps should be placed tightly in cardboard boxes or plastic buckets with lids so they don't move around and break during transit.  We highly recommend plastic buckets with lids to minimize mercury exposure in case bulbs break.

What happens to the lamps once they are picked up?

The lamps are transported to a permitted facility to be processed. The lamps are recycled in machines designed to break down the lamp and then separate the glass, metal, and mercury. Once the glass is clean of the mercury it can be reused as well as the metal and mercury. After the lamps are processed, a Certificate of Recycling will be issued for your records to document that your lamps were properly recycled by a permitted facility. 

I don’t have enough lamps to justify a bulk pickup. What are my other options?

Bulk pickups are designed for facilities that have large amounts of lamps. If this isn’t you, then you might want to consider EasyPak Recycling Containers. EasyPak containers can handle smaller amounts of lamps, with the same individualized convenience and reporting functions as bulk pickups. Contact TCRW if you have any questions about your options.