Consumers unaware CFLs must be recycled

New research has highlighted a lack of awareness among consumers that Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) must be recycled.

The survey was commissioned by the Lighting Industry Federation, in partnership with recycling scheme Recolight, the Lighting Association and leading lamp producers.

Of those surveyed only 18 per cent were aware that CFLs must be recycled through specialised recycling facilities and 69 per cent said that they would throw them away in their normal household waste.

Because CFLs contain mercury, which gives them their energy-saving properties, larger quantities ending up in landfill could be damaging for the environment.

“In the next three-to-five years we expect larger quantities of CFLs to start reaching end-of-life. It is essential that we raise awareness now of the importance of recycling these lamps so that they don’t end up in landfill,” said Nigel Harvey, Recolight Chief Executive.

The survey also reveals that nearly eight out of 10 homes (78 per cent) have at least one operating CFL in place, and that 29 per cent no longer have any old-style incandescents at all. In total, the research shows that there are approximately 133 million CFLs currently in use in homes across the UK and the presence of incandescent lamps has almost halved in the last three years.

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