How to recycle lamps

Check if the lamp producer is a Recolight member. If so you can recycle your lamps free of charge through Recolights compliance scheme. Visit Recolight's website here  to find your nearest open collection point.

Alternatively if you have a large quantity of lamps and would like to arrange for a one-off collection, call the Recolight team on 08456 017 749 and they will find the best solution for you.

How much will it cost?

If you have sufficient quantities of lamps to be collected and recycled, Recolight can arrange that free of charge.

If you have smaller quantities where it is not viable to collect directly, Recolight provides a national network of collection points where you can arrange for the lamps to be delivered. Read about Recolight's open collection points.

Recolight

Recolight was established by the UK lamp industry in 2005 primarily for the purpose of operating a WEEE compliance scheme on behalf of lamp producers in the UK.

Its operating model is based upon one developed by the European Lamp Companies Federation (ELC) - a European Trade Association for lamp manufacturers - although the implementation is different in each country, reflecting the different national implementations of the WEEE Directive EC2002/94.

Recolight received scheme operator approval number WEE/MP3838PR/SCH on 21st February 2007 and went live operationally on July 2nd 2007.

Read Recolight's FAQ's

Your responsibilities

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.

Our responsibilities

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.