Mercury Lamp Recycling Information for Canadians

Background on Fluorescent Lamps and Mercury

According to the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, “electric power generation is the largest single remaining source of mercury emissions in Canada from human activities.”  The U.S. EPA reports that: (1) fluorescent lamps use only 20-25% of the energy required for incandescent and other lighting technologies, and (2) fluorescent lamps are more cost-effective because they last up to 10 times longer than incandescent lamps. They reduce demand for electricity, which in turn reduces mercury and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from electricity production, particularly in relation to coal-fired boilers. The Montréal-based (link to Interuniversity Research Centre for the Life Cycle of Products, Processes and Services (CIRAIG)[PDF 1.14 mb] reports that environmental benefits can also be realized in regions that have mostly hydro-electric power. 

Switching to energy-efficient lighting is relatively simple and is encouraged by many governments because of the environmental and economic benefits. The Government of Canada enacted new national standards for lighting efficiency to come into force in 2014 under the Energy Efficiency Act and Regulations. The Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) has a program called “ecoENERGY for Buildings and Houses” that includes lighting efficiency upgrades. Various provincial/territorial programs also provide incentives for organizations to replace or retrofit inefficient lighting, such as:

Mercury is an essential component in most energy-efficient lamps. Fluorescent lamps, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps, and compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), are the most common types of mercury-containing lamps. Fluorescent lamps provide lighting for most schools, office buildings, and stores. HID lamps, which include mercury-vapour, metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps, are used for street lights, floodlights, and industrial lighting. CFLs are increasingly used in commercial buildings and in homes.

A typical fluorescent lamp is composed of a phosphor-coated glass tube with electrodes located at either end. The tube contains mercury, of which only a very small amount is in vapour form. When a voltage is applied, the electrodes energize the mercury vapour, causing it to emit ultraviolet (UV) energy. The phosphor coating absorbs the UV energy, causing the phosphor to fluoresce and emit visible light. If there is no mercury vapour in the tube, UV energy will not be produced and there will be no light.

Because mercury is very toxic to the human nervous system and is persistent in the environment, it is extremely important to properly handle and dispose of mercury-containing lamps. Proper lamp recycling can reduce human exposure to mercury and reduce the overall amount of mercury entering the environment. By controlling the mercury content, the metal, glass and other components of the spent lamps can be safely recycled.

As of 2005, approximately 60 million mercury-containing lamps reach the end of their life in Canada each year. As energy-efficient lighting becomes increasingly common, these numbers will increase. In 2005, only 7% of end-of-life fluorescent lamps were being recycled in Canada. Therefore, significant effort is needed to expand the environmentally sound recycling of these lamps.

In 2008, a National Mercury-Containing Lamp Recycling Technical Working Group was created to make recommendations on a national recycling framework for all end-of-life mercury-containing lamps. This Working Group brings together specialists from the federal and provincial governments, manufacturers, recyclers, retailers, and environmental organizations.

A number of provinces are taking actions (in advance or concurrently) that are generally aligned with recommendations made by the Working Group. For example, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Quebec either have implemented or are developing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations. These EPR regulations make industry responsible for the collection and recycling of regulated products they manufacture or sell, including mercury-containing lamps. Manufacturers are responsible for developing and funding product stewardship mechanisms for their products. In Canada, the majority of lamp manufacturers and distributors are represented by the Electrical Equipment Manufacturers Association of Canada (EEMAC).