The federal government's decision in 2007 to phase out incandescent light globes by 2009-10 means that an increasing volume of energy-efficient lighting such as compact fluorescent lamps and fluorescent tubes will be used by households and businesses. While these types of lights have the advantage of lasting longer and requiring less electricity, their drawback is that many of them contain small amounts of mercury which could be absorbed into the environment. New recycling technology, however, will enable mercury-bearing lights to be recycled safely.

You can take your fluorescent tubes or lamps to a number of locations in Perth's Eastern Region (see the links below). By making the effort to dispose of your fluorescent lighting safely and correctly, you will be helping to convert potential waste into valuable resources.

EMRC received funding from the Landfill Levy Fund and the Office of Energy in late 2009, for a study and trial into the collection and recycling of fluorescent lights, as a means of determining more effective ways to collect and recycle these lights over a period of 12 months. The trial is supported by Bunnings and several shopping centres.

To find out more about fluorescent recycling click on the links below:

The recycling process
Recycling locations
Safety tips
Resources
EMRC Fluorescent Light Recycling Study