The end of incandescent bulbs is nothing new. In fact, the European Union was in charge of phasing them out progressively until 2012, when they were completely banned.
Despite the ban, chances are that we still have some incandescent bulbs, even if they are forgotten in a drawer and may even be burned out. What’s more, according to an analysis carried out by Ambilamp, in Spanish households there is an average of two bulbs lying around. For those who do not yet know Ambilamp, it is a non-profit association dedicated to the collection and treatment of all types of lamps and luminaires.
Recycling of incandescent and fluorescent bulbs
Another drawback of conventional technologies is the problem of recycling. Although the case of incandescent bulbs is not so serious, it is a major problem, for example, in the case of fluorescent bulbs.
Fluorescent or “energy-saving” lighting contains mercury, which is a highly toxic element.
This material, when it enters aquatic environments such as a river or the sea, is transformed into methylmercury. This substance is a very powerful neurotoxic agent that harms fish and, consequently, people and all the fauna that feed on them.
On the other hand, other materials used in the manufacture of light bulbs generateCO2 if they are not properly treated. That is why it is very important to take light bulbs and any other electrical or electronic material to an appropriate recycling point when their useful life is over. In the case of lighting products, if we do not know where to take them, we can locate the collection points on Ambilamp’s own website.
As we have seen, conventional light bulbs pose a problem for the environment that we can avoid by consuming efficient products such as LEDs and recycling them when they no longer work. If you want to know exactly where to take the different types of bulbs when they are no longer useful, you can consult our article on how to recycle bulbs correctly.