Fluorescent Tube Recycling Guide UK

In this guide you will find:

• Where to take tubes to be recycled
• How to hire a company to recycle fluorescent tubes for you
• Interactive recycling maps
• Health and safety advice
• WEEE directive
• Recycling CFLs

Fluorescent tubes are classed as hazardous waste due to the mercury contained in the phosphor powder within the tube. This means they have to be disposed of properly at specific recycling sites and not every landfill site will be equipped to handle the chemicals present in the tubes.

Where to take tubes to be recycled

The best way to recycle your old tubes is to take them to a specialist waste disposal centre. Most (but not all) local tips or recycling centres will handle the bulbs for you. If you have a large number of fluorescent tubes to dispose of or are disposing of them on behalf of a business then restrictions will apply as most government run recycling sites won’t take commercial waste. The companies listed in the section on Commercial Waste will give you more information on where you can take your tubes to be recycled.

The recycling centres listed below accept fluorescent tubes but may have restrictions on vehicle size when dropping them off so call ahead for any restrictions. Don’t forget to take some ID with your current address on it when you drop your tubes off - some centres only allow local residents to use the recycling services.

Most recycling centres do not open Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year’s Day, so again, call in advance to confirm opening times.

How to hire a company to recycle fluorescent tubes for you

Most government run recycling centres will dispose of fluorescent tubes, however, some won’t accept commercial waste, so if you have a large number of tubes to get rid of then ring the centre in advance to check if they will accept them.

If you can’t recycle your fluorescent tubes at a government run centre then there are specialist companies that will accept fluorescent tubes or even collect them from your premises or designated collection points. When choosing a waste disposal company, ensure they are a registered hazardous waste contractor and have the relevant compliance and accreditations in place.

Some points to consider when hiring a recycling company are:

• Some companies may have specific rules for collecting tubes, such as requiring them to be packaged in specialist boxes.
• Don’t tape tubes together as this can cause problems when they need to be separated for crushing.
• Package multiple lamps in strong, secure boxes and fill the boxes completely to avoid the tubes moving around. You could store the lamps in the packaging they were delivered in as well.
• When storing lamps ready for recycling ensure they are clearly marked as used to avoid confusion.

Interactive recycling maps

If you live or work in London, Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds and want to know where you can recycle your tubes safely, select a location below for recycling sites and companies in that area: (links to maps)

• London
• Birmingham
• Manchester
• Leeds

Health and safety advice

Mercury is a poisonous substance that can cause breathlessness, problems with muscle control, chest pains and coughing. Although the small amount of mercy in a fluorescent tube is unlikely to cause any health problems, if large amounts of it are inhaled, or if children or animals inhale the substance, it can be very dangerous. If you accidentally break a fluorescent tube then you will need to dispose of the debris very carefully. You can read more about how to clean up a broken fluorescent tube safely here.

Mercury is also hazardous to the environment which is why proper disposal is so important.

The NHS website has further information on mercury poisoning, including symptoms and what to do if you think you may have been poisoned.

WEEE directive

WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and materials classed as this must be disposed of correctly so that they can be recycled. Lighting equipment, including fluorescent tubes and CFLs, are included under these guidelines. Products with this symbol on them come under the WEEE directive.

Recycling CFLs

The same rules apply for recycling CFLs as fluorescent tubes as they also contain mercury. Some high street retailers have CFL recycling facilities for customers. These include:

• Sainsbury’s – 200 of their larger stores have CFL recycling facilities. You can find out which ones by clicking here.
• Ikea – most stores recycle CFLs, click here for more information.

Need to replace your fluorescent tube?

If you're looking to replacement for your fluorescent tubes, consider switching from traditional T8 fluorescents to T8 LEDs. LED tubes are mercury free and the average T8 LED tube lasts around 50,000 hours!

Need more information?

Recycling

For statistics on fluorescent tube waste and recycling check out the Wikipedia page

To find out more about WEEE and the advantages of this recycling system visit www.hse.gov.uk/waste/waste-electrical.htm