Fluorescent Lighting

There are estimated to be around 100 million fluorescent tubes and lights in use in the UK and around 70 million changed each year that enter the waste stream. Fluorescent light is produced by passing an electric current through mercury vapour to generate ultraviolet energy. A phosphor coating inside the tube transforms this to visible light. A single four foot fluorescent tube contains around 23 milligrams of mercury, a toxic metal that can cause serious water pollution , and is readily taken up by fish, plants and crops causing bioaccumulation in foods in the human diet.

Under European Waste Catalogue Coding (EWC) fluorescent tubes are deemed hazardous waste and therefore must be treated accordingly.
FootprintMatters2u  offer a  “MOBILE” fluorescent tube recycling service. Whether you are a Civic Amenity site, small business, large business, transfer station or anyone that has a need for recycling their fluorescent tubes, FootprintMatters2U can help.

Our unique ability to bring our equipment to you, enables us to crush your tubes at your premises, reducing the overall volume considerably and transport them from site in secure bags. This procedure is fully compliant and endorsed by the EA under simple exemptions paragraph 42, for which we hold current EA registrations, that cover us for England and Wales, along with our current waste carriers licence.
This preferred method is more accurate for reporting and auditing purposes as our equipment has built-in scales that enable us to accurately inform you of the total weight recycled upon completion.

It also solves many on-site health and safety issues by having us service you on a regular basis.

Our current clients include, Powys County Council, Ceredigion County Council, Devon County Council, Dorset County Council, Wiltshire County Council, Gloucester City Council, Consol Tanning Studio’s, Gloucester and Cheltenham NHS Trust, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, Recolight and Electrolink Compliance Schemes plus many other blue chip and S.M.E’s.
Finally, our service is the only one in the UK that offers complete 100% recycling where the treated glass goes directly back to the tube manufactures, Phillips and Osram.

Further information: Environmental Agency