Energy-saving lamps

Energy-saving lamps contain mercury and recyclable metals. For this reason they must not be disposed of in a waste disposal bag along with household refuse. They can be returned free of charge at the point of sale or at collection points.

An energy-saving lamp consists of a compact gas-filled fluorescent tube and an electronic ballast. Energy-saving lamps are also known as compact fluorescent lamps or low-energy lamps.

Environmental assessment

Energy-saving lamps contain small quantities of mercury (limit: 3.5 mg per lamp) as well as metals and glass. For this reason they are collected separately and disposed of in an environmentally compatible manner.

If an energy-saving lamp is recycled instead of being burned in a municipal solid waste incinerator, environmental pollution is reduced by around 15% according to an environmental life cycle assessment by Empa, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology. Moreover, the metals and glass from the energy-saving lamps can be recaptured.

Separate collection

Energy-saving lamps are subject to the terms of the Ordinance of 20 october 2021 on the Return, the Taking-back and the Disposal of Electrical and Electronic equipment (ORDEE). ORDEE requires the consumer to return used energy-saving lamps to a dealer or a collection point (return obligation). Dealers who sell energy-saving lamps are obliged to take them back without charge and to pass them on to a recycling installation.

Disposal/Recycling

When energy-saving lamps are processed, the mercury is removed and, depending on the exact process, either recaptured or stored in an indissoluble form. The metals from the built-in electronic ballasts (e.g. copper) and the glass are recycled.

If energy-saving lamps are disposed of incorrectly in a household waste disposal bag they end up in the municipal solid waste incinerator. The multiple-stage flue gas cleaning in the incinerators prevents significant environmental pollution being produced.

On the other hand, the incorrect disposal of energy-saving lamps in the municipal waste increases the operating costs of the flue gas cleaning. Also, the raw materials - metals and glass - are not recovered from the energy-saving lamps.

Financing

The Swiss Lighting Recycling Foundation (SLRS) organizes on a voluntary basis the collection and environmentally sound disposal of energy-saving lamps. This is financed by prepaid recycling charges that are levied when energy-saving lamps are imported and sold.

Measures to be taken

For the future, it is necessary to ensure that used energy-saving lamps are correctly disposed of or recycled. It is therefore very important that up-to-date information is available on this subject.