General
Gas-discharge lamps in foiled pillar pallets (© EAK, 2017)
Gas-discharge lamps are mainly found in the following:
- Devices of indoor lighting fixtures (These primarily include classic rod-shaped fluorescent tubes and compact fluorescent tubes, e.g. energy-saving bulbs.)
- Kitchen equipment (e.g. exhaust hoods)
- Office equipment and computer peripherals (e.g. copiers, faxes and scanners)
- In tanning beds and sunlamps
Since September 2012, manufacture or import of incandescent bulbs has been prohibited in the EU. In addition, the production and import of fluorescent tubes, fluorescent lamps and halogen lamps has been banned since September 2023. Gas-discharge lamps contain small quantities of mercury, and LED lamps contain valuable raw materials and electronic components; both types should therefore always be disposed of separately.
Recovering raw materials
Gas-discharge lamps consist primarily of glass, aluminium (end caps), and waste elements containing mercury.
The mercury-containing elements are stored in underground disposal sites. The glass and aluminium portions can be reused as valuable raw materials. In terms of energy consumption, this is far more efficient than acquiring new raw materials, and therefore makes an important contribution to protecting our climate and environment.
The following table and graph present the approximate quantity of raw materials recovered each year in the processing of gas-discharge lamps, and the proportion of different specific materials that are recovered.
| Portions | Mass [t] | Proportion [%] |
|---|---|---|
| Glass | 740 | 90,0 |
| Aluminium | 37 | 4,5 |
| Mercury-containing waste | 45 | 5,5 |
| Gesamt | 822 | 100,0 |
Materials recovered from gas-discharge lamps (2022 data)
Breakdown of gas-discharge lamps by percentage of total mass (2022)
The removal of pollutants of gas-discharge lamps is described here.