An Inside Look at the Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Process

We are often asked if the lamps we sell are made out of the lamps we recycle.  It is a great question and makes us realize that our customers want to know how fluorescent lamps actually get recycled.  Here is an inside look at what EverLights does with your bulbs.

EverLights believes in a zero landfill recycling process and we recycle the lamps using the most efficient and clean lamp recycling machine in the industry.  Our recycling technology can process up to 5,000 linear fluorescent lamps every hour. The machine sucks in the lamps and sends them through a crushing/filtering process that separates the lamps into four reusable products:  glass, aluminum end caps, phosphor powder, and mercury.  This crushing, filtering and cleaning process all happens inside the machine, reducing any chance of mercury contamination in the facility.

Once the lamp is recycled to this state, the four products are distributed to various industries for reuse in manufacturing.  The phosphorous powder and mercury goes back to the lighting industry and the glass and aluminum end caps go into fiber glass insulation and new aluminum products.

If you still want to learn more about the lamp recycling process and the machine itself, take a moment to watch this video from the manufacturer.

EverLights Now Sells GE Energy-Efficient Products

Recycling lamps – and doing it well – has been a passion for EverLights since we opened in 1995.  We have found the greatest joy in servicing our clients, especially when we can offer them a program or product that helps them become more efficient, green and truly help them do their job better.

Earlier this year, a number of our clients started to ask us our opinion on the incandescent and fluorescent bulb phase outs.  We educated them and gave resources to the best of our ability.  But we wondered if there was a way we could do more.  After putting our heads together, we decided to approach General Electric to see if they would be willing to bring EverLights on as a lamp distributor.  We were thrilled when they said yes!  By the end of the month, EverLights will become the first GE distributor that also recycles their products.  Did I mention how excited we are?

As we prepare for the official launch date (please stay tuned) all of us are busy learning more about lighting so we can be the EverLights experts that you are accustomed to working with. We want our customers to know that they can come to us for all of their lighting and recycling needs, and learning as much as we can about the industry is the best way to make that happen. Soon you’ll start to see new lighting added to quotes, and we’ll run specials on bulbs that we think are particularly efficient, or just plain cool.

If you’re interested in learning more about the GE products we’ll be offering, or our recycling services, please give us a call anytime at (877) 934-9873. We’re always happy to help!

President Obama’s Speech to EPA Employees, and Other Top Green News Stories

Picking the five best “green” news stories every week is no easy task. It seems like each week the news becomes more important and the stories are told in better ways. After a lot of deliberation, here are the five stories that we thought you should have read this past week.

1. President Obama’s Speech to EPA Employees

It’s clear the President understands the importance of keeping our earth clean, and he supports the efforts taken by the EPA to do so. Earlier this week, he took time out of his busy schedule to personally thank EPA employees. If you’re looking to kill 10 minutes, this speech is one of your best options.

2. Don’t Burn Your Laptop in the Fireplace

Earlier this week Colorado authorities arrested a man for burning his old laptop in his fireplace. Police ordered more than three dozen residents to stay in their homes until they could determine the cause of the smoke and gas. It’s hard to believe someone would actually do this, but it’s real. If you’re looking to get rid of an old laptop, don’t do this. Call us instead. We’ll recycle it for you.

3. How to Buy a Better Lightbulb

We’ve discussed this topic on Our Take on Green, and you’ve probably heard about it from your local news outlets. Incandescent light bulbs are soon going to be a thing of the past. While the ban that was originally enacted is currently on hold (kind of), the bulbs will be gone soon. We found this brief, educational infographic that will help you determine what type of light you should be using to replace the old bulbs, and which bulbs can save you the most money.

4. 12 Simple Steps to Go Green in 2012

It’s still early enough to post lists giving you tips for how to live your life in 2012, right? Here’s a good one we found from the World Watch Institute that gives us 12 ways we can go “green” in the new year. Number one on the list is our favorite. But there are other great options on the list you should check out too.

5. Create a Lamp Recycling Program in 7 Easy Steps

We feel this one is so important, and so useful, that we want to share it as much as possible. Earlier this week we put together a list that makes lamp recycling as easy as it can be. If you’re deciding whether or not to start recycling your company’s lamps, this article will help you make up your mind.

Have any other “green” stories you think we should know about? Share them with us in the comments below. We love hearing your opinion!

You Don’t Have to Stock Up on Incandescent Bulbs

As January 1, 2012, draws nearer, so do some of the new lighting regulations that were signed into place by George W. Bush in 2007. In response to the new law, a lot of people have started stocking up on incandescent bulbs. It’s not uncommon for someone to walk down the light bulb aisle at a local store and buy out the entire stock. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires light bulb manufacturers to improve the efficiency of incandescent bulbs by 25 percent. That doesn’t mean these manufacturers have to stop making incandescents, they simply need to make them more efficient. Even though they can still produce these incandescent bulbs, lighting companies realized it makes more sense to focus their efforts on making newer products better, rather than wasting energy on improving incandescent bulbs. That’s why the die-hard incandescent bulb enthusiasts have started worrying. What’s going to happen if, and when, there are no more incandescent bulbs left on the market? We want to take this opportunity to convince you that the incandescent phase out is in fact a good thing.

Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs)

CFLs are hot right now. (Not really though. Incandescent bulbs give off way more heat). With the reduction in incandescent bulb manufacturing, CFLs have become a lot more popular, and with good reason. Incandescent bulbs have an average lifespan of 1,500 hours. CFLs, on the other hand, have an average lifespan of 10,000 hours. Your business can save up to 75% on it’s energy bill by switching to CFLs. Walmart offers a perfect example of how much money can be saved by making the switch. The company decided to replace all of its lighting with fluorescent lamps. In turn, it saved $6 million per year in energy costs. Even if your company is nowhere close to the size of Walmart, the percentage you can save could drastically alter the way you run your business.

Obviously CFLs have flaws, just like anything else. The biggest turnoff for most people is that a lot of CFLs are not dimmable, but that trend is changing quickly. Lighting manufacturers have found ways to create dimmable CFLs, and offer lamps in all shapes, sizes and colors. The other big concern for a lot of us is the mercury inside these lamps. As long as we all follow the proper procedures for handling and recycling old lamps, there is no reason to worry. Companies like EverLights exist to make the recycling process as easy as possible for your business.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs)

LEDs aren’t nearly as popular as CFLs right now, but they will be some day. LEDs last for an average of 60,000 hours (nearly 7 years), and use 82% less energy than incandescent bulbs. They also contain no mercury or other hazardous material, and therefore don’t have any laws or regulations on disposal. You may be asking yourself, “Why are they telling me to use CFLs if LEDs are so much better?” The answer to that is simple. LEDs are still a fairly new technology, and the price for these lamps is more than most people want to pay for lighting. So be on the lookout for LEDs to become more popular as the prices begin to drop.

As incandescent bulbs are phased out, there’s no need to worry about how you’re going to light your office. The lighting manufacturers have it all under control. Pretty soon, you’ll be saving money on your energy bill, and you won’t even notice the lights were changed.

EverLights offers lamp, ballast, battery and electronic waste recycling. Please feel free to contact us at any time by phone: (773) 734-9873, by email at info@everlights.com, or on our website.

Kiss Your T12 Lamps Goodbye

Energy efficiency and saving money are two topics on the mind of a lot of people these days, especially business owners. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is constantly working to find ways to help people that fall into these categories. Thanks to the lighting mandate recently put in place by the DOE, people will have a little help when it comes to saving money on energy costs.

July 1, 2010, marked the beginning of a phase out period for most magnetic ballasts most commonly used for the operation of T12 lamps. Beginning July 1, 2012, many T12 lamps will be phased out of production by lighting companies as well. Now the question arises, “why does this matter and what does it mean for me?”

About the Phase-Out

T12 lamps and magnetic ballasts are considered outdated compared to the far more energy efficient T8 and  T5 systems available now. The Department of Energy’s objective for this initiative is to remove the less efficient T12 fluorescent systems from the market, increasing lighting efficiency for all who make the switch.

Approximately 30 percent of all fluorescent lamps sold in the United States are of the T12 variety. Of those lamps, 70 percent will be phased out by July 2012 in response to federal regulations. The cost of all remaining T12 lamps will increase as a result of the phase out. Lighting companies will start to focus their efforts on developing the most energy efficient T8 and T5 lamps possible. If your company waits to start replacing T12 lamps, it could miss out on some nice financial incentives offered by your state.

Financial Incentives

What’s the best way to get people to jump on any bandwagon? If you guessed, “offer them some incentive for participating,” you were right. This can be in the form of a rebate program, or even as simple as a fact sheet describing how much money can be saved by making the switch. This program does both of those things.

• Incentives for the DOE program are offered on a state-by-state basis, so I can’t provide exact numbers for everybody. I will, however, provide the information for incentives offered to Illinois residents. Ameren Illinois, a leader in the Illinois energy industry, offers a nice reward for businesses that perform retrofits on their current lighting fixtures. As the July, 2012 date draws nearer, potential incentives will decrease, eventually disappearing completely. The incentives are as follows (for now):
  • T12 to T8 – $3-$7 per lamp + 10% bonus
  • T12 to T5 New Fluorescent Fixture – $0.25/watt reduced + 10% bonus

• Lighting takes up approximately 35% of your average energy bill. By replacing your T12 lamps with T8 lamps, you could use 33% less electricity and save about $12 per fixture, each year. Depending on the size of your business, that could add up to some major savings.
• On average, T12 lamps last for 7,000 hours, T8 lamps last for 10,000 hours and T5 lamps last for 15,000 hours. Making the switch to T8 or T5 lamps will also save you money by not having to replace them as often.
• Most facilities can expect to see a payback for making the switch in 1-3 years.

T12 lamps will still exist to some extent. Companies will continue to produce T12 lamps for residential use, and for certain other circumstances. The price of these will continue to increase, so its in your best interest to make the switch as soon as possible. In order to get maximum energy savings and take advantage of incentives, you should upgrade your lighting system as a whole, rather than individually.

The lighting industry will continue to advance and develop more energy efficient products. By staying on top of the latest technologies, and understanding the benefits, your company will be able to save even more money on energy in the future. Stick with us and you’ll be saving money like its your job (or you’ll do it better if it is your job).