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This week's EU ban on 100-watt, opaque, incandescent light bulbs — 60-watt bulbs will go next year — has brought familiar harrumphing from some quarters. The people now whingeing about the newfangled bulbs are doubtless the same ones who mourned the disappearance of outside toilets or of old-fashioned, scratchy British blankets.
The truth is that low-energy bulbs (or compact fluorescent lamps — CFLs as they're technically known) save money and energy. They last eight to 15 times as long as conventional bulbs and generate the same amount of light from typically around a fifth of the energy. In the process they will save an estimated five million tonnes a year from the UK's carbon dioxide emissions.
In fact, the old light bulbs were long doomed: the Government pledged almost two years ago to phase out conventional bulbs by 2011, and all large stores have already switched to CFLs. But critics have largely missed the biggest problem involved in the switchover: what to do with the new bulbs when they finally give out.
Campaigners claim they cause eczema and migraines. Some rare skin conditions that are light-sensitive can be made worse by fluorescent strip lights; so far there has been only speculation about CFLs having the same effect. Meanwhile migraine charities report only a small increase in sufferers complaining that CFLs give them problems, and there is no proven scientific link.
The much bigger issue is the recycling of CFLs, which contain electrical components with small quantities of heavy metals including mercury. These can leach into soil or water if they are dumped in landfill.
This isn't a reason not to use them. Like many everyday products — say, engine oil, or bleach — they need to be handled and disposed of with care. They have to be sent to specialist electrical recyclers, and are thus covered by the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (or WEEE) directive. In other words, like an old toaster, you're supposed to take them to the council dump rather than throw them in the bin.
Few consumers are aware of this. The only indication is the crossed-out bin symbol you'll see on CFL boxes. Even if they know what that means, how many people are willing to make a special trip to the dump? And if I drive the two miles to my nearest council site that will take them, that return car journey generates nearly a kilo of CO2. It seems a bit self-defeating.
Yet most councils will not collect them with your regular recycling. Meanwhile Recolight, the recycling scheme set up by the British lamp industry to comply with WEEE rules, is geared to business users: they'll come and collect your used low-energy bulbs if you've got 1,000 or more.
The answer is a proper education campaign by the Government and the bulb manufacturers, telling people — when they buy them — that they need to be recycled. Then we need councils to collect the old bulbs — and other waste electrical products, come to that — along with the rest of our recycling.
It would not be hard to organise. It's just that no one in government appears to have thought of this before triggering the switch to low-energy bulbs. At present, nobody seems sure how many bulbs go to landfill. But the estimated 23.5 million fluorescent lamps — including low-energy bulbs — collected for recycling in 2008 were surely only a fraction of the total number of lights being binned.
Arguments will doubtless continue over the aesthetics of low-energy bulbs. But with this week's ban, they're here to stay — in greatly increased numbers. And if we just put them in the ground, the results could be more serious than a few peeved interior designers.
Reader views (5)
15 times as long Andrew - bit of an exaggeration there?
lucky if they will last 6 months without beginning to fade and flicker
Use 5 times less electricity - and how much extra to make them? - again overexageration with your claim - the heat is used to heat our cold rooms on dark winter nights - as you like them so much and are promoting them - when mercury poisoning and cancer rates start to creep up - we know which idiot to blame - if these damn things were so good people would buy them - no need to ban them - but reality they mean bringing poison into the home - when my kid knocks one over and starts playing with the mercury - you will have some more lines for your column - I suppose as you belieive this governement so much no doubt Iraq really does have WMD'S?
Why were we not told about mercury and disposal before they were banned?
- J Becker, Yorkshire England, 03/09/2009 14:34
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Thank you Nigel. Already on a list now to track those new LED warm white bulbs. I'm thankful to learn that we have a choice. Use the free (council) CFL bulb in the storeroom, but never been tempted to buy any yet. Can't believe with all the technocological leaps, these bulbs display such 'poor' (imo) lighting effect.
- Avril, London, 02/09/2009 17:22
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Timely warning in the article. Didn't know the CFLs can't be disposed of in the refuse. WHY? And why no responsible public alerts to the dangers of soil absorption? It doesn't make sense, when councils are pursuing draconian measures in refuse collection and re-cycling?
Great news! Let's hope the LED and OLED technology forges ahead at lightning speed.
Will this mean an end to the trend of (100 & 60 watt bulb) coloured lighting which has become popular outdoors for decorating houses, gardens, events, displays, Xmas, etc? Have only ever seen the CFLs in the white colour. Personally, wonder if these will be available tinted (on the outside?) to give a softer glow for indoor lamps?
- Avril, London, 02/09/2009 15:10
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Its all very well saying they have to be taken to the "local dump", but for people like us, pensioners with no private transport, the local dump is not exactly a practical place to traipse off to at the drop of a CFL light bulb. Most Councils will arrange special collections for items like toasters, vacuums, etc., under a "too big of the bin" arrangement, but lightbulbs hardly fit this category. I suspect they will simply be pulverised, put into a bag and buried under the other rubbish in the standard dustbin.
Not the safest or "greenest" answer.
- Sara, London UK, 02/09/2009 15:04
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They may not be here to stay for very long (thank heaven!) Major advances are happening in LED and OLED technology, both of which convert electricity into light even more efficiently than CFLs do.
At present white LEDs mostly give a very cold blue-ish illumination, but warm white LED bulbs are starting to appear in the shops, and those which will be available five years hence will be a lot better than today's. LEDs don't contain mercury and last decades.
OLED technology may offer even better light quality, though it's not ready for the shops yet.
- Nigel, London, 02/09/2009 13:24
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