B.C. Not-for-Profit LightRecycle Lifts Constraints: Now Accepts All Lighting Products

Canada’s first comprehensive recycling program for all lighting products, not just specific kinds, will begin in British Columbia on October 1st. The program is called LightRecycle, a not-for-profit organization which works to recycle lighting products in British Columbia.

The not-for-profit started in 2010, but at first only accepted residential-use fluorescent lights at collection sites throughout the province.

Now that the program has expanded, there will be no constraints on which type of lighting products can be accepted for recycling. LightRecycle will accept bulbs, tubes, ballasts, lighting fixtures, any lighting product used in any manner including residential, institutional, industrial and commercial applications.

What’s more, the recycling service will be entirely free of charge.

“LightRecycle is one of 14 industry-managed recycling programs in the province that reinforces British Columbia’s position as North America’s leader in environmental stewardship and recycling. Expanding the program to include all lighting products from all sectors means that fewer recyclable materials will end up in landfill,” said the Recycling Council of British Columbia’s CEO Brock Macdonald.

LightRecycle includes two separate system channels for collecting materials, with one system focusing on residential-use lighting products collected from consumers, and the other focused more on larger volume generator collection from the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors.

Mark Kurschner, president of the Product Care Association, commented on the expansion of the program, saying “The LightRecycle expansion makes it easier for consumers and large volume generators to recycle their lighting products. This program will reduce pressure on our landfills, conserve our natural resources and protect the environment.”

With the new program, recyclable materials such as metal, plastic, and glass that are used in the lighting products are ensured to be recycled into new products. At the same time, harmful materials used in lighting products such as mercury are safely recycled so they do not get back into the environment.

This process results in significant energy savings, as it takes 95 percent less energy to recycle aluminum than it would to manufacture it from raw materials, for example. It also requires 74 percent less energy recycle steel than to manufacture it, and 30 percent less energy is used when recycling glass.

Wester Canada vice president of the Retail Council of Canada, Shafiq Jamal noted that the benefits of the program are just now being recognized.

“There is a growing recognition of the need and importance of product stewardship programs like LightRecycle. We will continue to work with our members, government and the Product Care Association to ensure this program is a success,” said Jamal. 

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