Prepare for fluorescent lamp ban, trade warned

BUILDING owners and managers have been warned to prepare for the forthcoming ban on the  most popular and ubiquitous types of fluorescent lamp.

Trade association LightingEurope says those responsible for lighting –including facility and maintenance managers, purchasing managers, contractors and retailers – need to start preparing now for the axing of workhorse light sources such as T8 and T5 tubes next year.

Mercury-containing T8, T5 and long-life compact fluorescent lamps will be banned from sale in the EU from the end of August 2023 under the Restriction of the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation. The UK is following suit with its own ban.

The 2019 EU eco-design rules for light sources and separate control gears and the 12 RoHS Delegated Directives published in February 2022 will impact the placing on the EU market of compact and linear fluorescent lamps (CFLs and LFLs) for general lighting over the next year.

While EU eco-design rules have already phased-out CFL-i and T2 and T12 LFL lamps last autumn, the RoHS Directive now also restricts the placement on the EU market of CFL.ni and long-life LFL lamps as of 25 February 2023 as well as of long-life CFL, T5 and T8 linear lamps as of 25 August 2023.

‘We are now less than one year away from the restriction of several widely-used mercury-containing lamps in the EU,’ said LightingEurope in a statement. ‘Now is the time to work with a lighting expert to review your current lighting and plan your transition to LED lighting systems, that can be combined with sensors and controls to deliver significant energy savings and enable better lighting options.

‘LightingEurope members are working with customers and authorities to help explain how the two sets of EU rules (eco-design and RoHS) will affect the availability of mercury- containing lamps over the next few months, identify suitable alternatives and plan for the renovation of their lighting installations.’