Light Bulbs
BIRD accepts all kinds of light bulbs including strings of Xmas lights.
Returned products are sent to four processing plants in BC and five additional plants across Canada. Lamps are broken under negative air pressure and separated into their component parts (glass, aluminum, mercury, phosphor powder, other metals, plastic and ceramic). Nearly 100% of each lamp is recovered and recycled. Glass and metals, including mercury, are cleaned and forwarded to downstream recyclers. Plastics are burned during smelting, generating energy for the system. At this time, ceramic bases are waste material.
A bulb contains approximately 5mg of mercury, while a 4-ft tube contains roughly 12mg. In contrast, a mercury thermometer contains approximately 500 mg, while an older mercury thermostat contains about 2,500-10,000 mg.
Returned products are sent to four processing plants in BC and five additional plants across Canada. Lamps are broken under negative air pressure and separated into their component parts (glass, aluminum, mercury, phosphor powder, other metals, plastic and ceramic). Nearly 100% of each lamp is recovered and recycled. Glass and metals, including mercury, are cleaned and forwarded to downstream recyclers. Plastics are burned during smelting, generating energy for the system. At this time, ceramic bases are waste material.
A bulb contains approximately 5mg of mercury, while a 4-ft tube contains roughly 12mg. In contrast, a mercury thermometer contains approximately 500 mg, while an older mercury thermostat contains about 2,500-10,000 mg.