Collection and recycling

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) is one of the world’s fastest-growing waste streams. Therefore, we aim to reduce the landfill disposal of electrical and electronic waste from our end-of-life products. We encourage the re-use, recovery and recycling of relevant materials, which improves the environmental performance over the product life cycle.

Within the European Union (EU), we participate in collective schemes for lamps and luminaires through Collection and Recycling Service Organizations (CRSOs). These CRSOs ensure sustainable financing and guarantee effective and environmentally-sound collection and recycling.

In collaboration with the EU lighting Industry, we’ve established a dedicated infrastructure for the collection and recycling of lamps. This emphasis on lamps has led to best-in-class collection performance for this product category and ensures the re-use of more than 80% of the waste collected from lamps.

The approach outside of the EU is to steer the legislation in an appropriate way to facilitate the optimal collection and recycling of lamps. We’ve also joined the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) en.lighten project. This initiative’s objective is to implement legislation for energy efficiency, collection and recycling – taking the lead in end-of-life solutions.

At the end of their lifespan, lighting products are collected, stored, transported and treated. There are several treatment methods that result in a number of fractions including glass, metal, plastic, fluorescent powders and mercury. After the treatment process, over 80% of the materials extracted from the lamps can be re-used.

Collection and Recycling brochure