Bring your old lamps and bulbs to a Recupel point
Don't put your broken bulbs in the attic in the hope they'll start walking to the recycling park on their own. The same goes for your old lamps: don't leave them gathering dust in your cellar or garage. Take them to a Recupel point near you, there are more than you think!
Recupel encourages you to give a new life to as many light bulbs as possible by recycling them properly!
Recupel points in retailers
Take your old used light bulbs to one of our blue Recupel collections bins at your local DIY store or supermarket free of charge. These are usually located near the entrance, next to the Bebat battery collection bins.
Take-back obligation
What's more, given that they sell new light bulbs themselves, many of these retailers are subject to the legal ‘take-back obligation’. So always remember to return your old light bulbs when you buy new ones.
At the recycling park
Your used light bulbs can also be deposited in the Recupel point intended for this, at your local recycling park. That's very handy if you happen to be going there to dispose of other types of waste. So why not take the opportunity to finally empty that box of old light bulbs you’ve been keeping in your cupboard or garage?
What types of light bulbs can be recycled?
LED light bulbs
A LED (Light Emitting Diode) is an electronic component that emits light when an electronic current passes through it. The advantage of LED light bulbs, which are now widespread, is that they last longer and consume less energy than the old incandescent light bulbs, which have been banned from public sale since 2013. On the other hand, they contain toxic substances and must therefore be recycled via a very specific process.
Energy-saving light bulbs
These light bulbs, also known as fluorescent light bulbs, last longer than their old incandescent counterparts, but not as long as LEDs. These bulbs also contain heavy metals, including mercury and fluorescent powder. Our recycling partner in Belgium follows a strict protocol to remove and recycle as many raw materials as possible from used light bulbs.
Incandescent Bulbs
For a long time, the incandescent bulb was the standard light source. However, since 2013, it's no longer allowed to be produced or imported in the EU due to its low efficiency compared to modern light sources like LED bulbs. Despite this, they can still be found on the market because it is permitted to sell existing stock.
Halogen Bulbs
Halogen bulbs are similar to incandescent bulbs but contain iodine or bromine and gas under high pressure. This gives the bulb slightly higher efficiency and a longer lifespan compared to an incandescent bulb, but still far less efficiency than modern alternatives.
Fluorescent (or neon) tubes
These fluorescent light bulbs contain just as many harmful substances and are therefore collected in bins specially designed for their larger size.
Good to know
How are they processed?
The method of processing depends on the quality and the shape of the bulbs. For example, the bulbs are separated into different grades of glass, different types of fluorescent powder and different types of metal. Both the reusable fluorescent powder as well as the finely ground glass of the best quality is used as raw material in the production of new bulbs. The glass of inferior quality is directed towards other destinations, such as the glass fibre industry, incineration and melting furnaces etc. The metal is recycled, and the fluorescent powder that does not qualify for reuse is removed from our environment in an environmentally responsible manner.
What if you break an energy saving bulb?
In normal use, the mercury present in the energy efficient bulb cannot escape from the closed lamp tubes, and thus is not dangerous. If the bulb breaks, there is a risk that you can come into contact with hazardous substances. So be very careful when you clean up a damaged energy efficient bulb. The new European Ecodesign Directive requires that each bulb manufacturer posts information on its website about how a damaged lamp must be cleaned up.
Method to clean up a damaged energy efficient bulb:
- Step 1: Open the windows, and leave the room for at least fifteen minutes
- Step 2: Use disposable gloves and sweep the pieces together with a small hand brush. Do not use a vacuum cleaner!
- Step 3: Sweep all the shards and powder together on a piece of paper and throw everything into a resealable plastic bag
- Step 4: Take the plastic bag with all the remnants of the damaged lamp to the recycling centre
- Step 5: Insert the hand duster and disposable gloves into a sealed plastic bag and throw the bag into the normal rubbish bin.
- Step 6: Wash your hands carefully
An energy saving bulb with a second shell provides extra security. The second shell is usually made from a non-breakable plastic instead of glass. The efficiency of such a bulb with a second shell is on average 10% lower than that of a naked energy saving bulb.
How much does a household that switches to energy efficient lighting save per year?
On average between €25 and €50 per year. Or a total annual savings of 800,000 tonnes of CO2, once nobody in Belgium uses a regular bulb anymore.
How much longer does an energy efficient bulb last compared to an incandescent bulb?
An energy efficient bulb is either a compact fluorescent lamp or an LED lamp. A normal energy efficient bulb has a lifetime of at least 6,000 (compact fluorescent lamp) up to 30,000 hours. That's up to 30 times longer than an incandescent bulb.
Are energy efficient bulbs more expensive than incandescent bulbs?
You will earn back the extra cost of the purchase quickly. 1 100 W incandescent bulb is replaced by an energy efficient bulb of 20 W = a saving of up to €100 (15 euros / year).
What energy labels do most energy efficient bulbs have?
Bulbs are labeled from A++ to A. Only a bulb with energy label A may call itself an energy efficient or CFL bulb.