If you produce, move, receive or dispose of hazardous waste, there are certain procedures you must follow under the Hazardous Waste regulations.

You can legally dispose of lamps at your local civic amenities site, through open collection points operated by Recolight or distribution take back facilities.

RS as a business-to-business (non-household distributor) organisation has no obligation to collect any lamps under the UK WEEE Regulations as we do not:

• manufacture and sell own branded lamps
• resell re-branded lamps produced by others
• import such equipment into the European Union

Since July 1st 2007 lamp manufacturers have been invoicing their customers (e.g. RS) with a recycling charge, on a per-unit-sold basis. This is a single charge rate and covers all lamps in scope of the Regulations, irrespective of use, type or construction.

A fixed fee applies, for every lamp sold into the UK market.

The fee is then passed from manufacturer/producer to the distributor, then on to the final end user, the customer, i.e. manufacturer - RS (distributor) - You (customer or end user).

Most businesses have taken the decision to make this separate fee visible on invoices and this fee is not subject to any discounts, but does attract VAT. RS has chosen to include the surcharge in the sell price of the lamp and not to show it as a separate line.

Many end users believe because they have paid the distributor the fee for recycling the lamp (passed on from manufacturers/producers) that the distributor (RS) is responsible for the collection, transportation and recycling.

This is not the case. The responsibility lies with the manufacturer or producer as explained above. If you whish to have your lamps recycled by the obligated manufacturer or producer please contact the UK lamp industries compliance scheme Recolight.