Trade Resources Industry Knowledge As Glass Does Not Degrade During Recycling, It Can Be Recycled Many Times Over

As Glass Does Not Degrade During Recycling, It Can Be Recycled Many Times Over

Tags: LED Bulb

If you've ever hoarded newspapers, rinsed out a somewhat rancid pasta sauce jar and have a heap of potato peelings in your garden that you optimistically refer to as 'compost', you're probably fully aware of the concept of recycling.

And if you're looking to light up your home in the most energy-efficient way possible, LED lighting is your best bet. The long-life bulbs not only use less energy while in use - an average of 8kW to a typical 60kW bulb - but they last an average of 12 years, with boffins at electronics manufacturer Phillips recently announcing a 25-year lifespan bulb.

But how do energy-efficient bathroom light fittings tie in with a mound of wet cardboard outside your house? Well, as Gary Thomas of the A to Z of Clean Tech explains, because the green credentials of LED lighting don't stop when the bulb fizzles out.

"LEDs are environmentally friendly during their lifespan, but can be even more beneficial to the environment if recycled," he said. "Over 95 per cent of an LED bulb is recyclable, and there are waste management companies that will collect and recycle LEDs for a small fee."

While you may not feel like paying someone to throw a light bulb out for you, LED bulbs do save on your electricity bills over the course of their use - meaning you should have plenty of pennies left to handover to a man in hardwearing gloves to mysteriously dispose of your bulbs.

"The recycling process generally involves the LED bulbs being crushed and separated, using a bar screen, into constituent components," says the expert. "From here, the glass is passed through a magnetic field that can remove any ferrous metal present. As glass does not degrade during recycling, it can be recycled many times over."

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How to Recycle Your LED Bulbs
Topics: Lighting