Take your old used light bulbs to a Recupel point

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. This means your LED and energy-saving light bulbs can be safely collected.

There's also a special collection bin for your fluorescent (neon) tubes, also known as TL light bulbs.

Find a Recupel point 

 

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.

Find out more about the take-back obligation

 

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?

Find a recycling park near you

What types of light bulbs can be recycled?

LED light bulbs

An 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.

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.

What about light fittings?

These are also considered electrical appliances! As such, they can either be donated for reuse (if they are still in good condition), or recycled in the same way as any other electrical and electronic waste. 

 

Which light bulb should I go for, and what should I do if a light bulb breaks?

To find out everything you need to know about light bulbs, check out this blog post. 

 

Why is it important to recycle light bulbs?

Click here to learn out all about what light bulbs are made of and how we recycle them.