EucoLight conference for lighting WEEE Producer Compliance Schemes

Delegates from 18 lighting WEEE compliance schemes and their lighting producer board members come together for the third EucoLight Conference in April. On the agenda is the challenge of LED recycling. The conference is hosted by LightRec, the Dutch Producer Compliance Scheme (PCS) for Lighting.

LEDs currently represent less than 1% of the lamp waste stream[1]. They are collected with other GDLs and go through the normal processing route. This is also because, to many end users, LEDs are indistinguishable from other lamps.[2]

The diversity of design and construction of LEDs presents additional challenges to their recycling. There will be a time delay of up to 10 years in which to develop any specific treatment technology that may be required. Work is already underway.

EucoLight are running several projects to seek solutions for this challenge. EucoLight brings together Europe’s leading WEEE schemes specialised in the lighting sector, and so is ideally placed to tackle this.

At the conference, EucoLight Working Groups present the results of research undertaken in 2017 and share futures projects. These include:

• Responding to the challenges of LED recycling
• Rare earths recycling project and perspectives
• LED technology and content of raw materials
• Plastics recycling in a circular economy

The Circular Economy and market insight from EucoLight members

The conference isn’t all about LEDs, several other key topics are hot on the agenda for EucoLight’s members.

The delegates will gain insight into The Dutch situation and vision on WEEE, presented by the conference hosts, LightRec.

Ambilamp, the Spanish Lighting PCS will present a market study: Consumer and Business behavior on lamp disposal in Spain.

LightingEurope, Eucolight Affiliate Member, present on the Circular economy and lighting products.

The EucoLight Policy Working Group talk will through us through Extended Producer Responsibility requirements & EU legislative waste package.

Non-compliance of online sellers (free riders)

EucoLight members have been working together over the last year to tackle the growing number of online sellers who are not members of a PCS. We will hear from the German PCS, LightCycle, who present the European overview of the problem, best practices of actions taken against free riders and next steps.

Recolight and EucoLight

Recolight are a founder member of EucoLight, Nigel Harvey is a board member and members of the Recolight Management team are actively involved in the Working Groups for

• Policy,
• Logistics & Treatment,
• Marketing & Communication,

Our involvement gives Recolight a strong voice in Europe, and ensures we are at the forefront of legislative regulatory change for WEEE lighting.

[1] Research carried out by EucoLight members in conjunction with their recyclers.

^[2] GFK survey commissioned by EucoLight