Lighting Specifiers – do your bit for recycling

It’s easy to think that responsibility for recycling lies with the end-user, but actually everyone in the lighting industry can contribute to ensuring that recycling levels are maximised – including lighting specifiers. All it takes is a single additional line in a specification – a request that all suppliers must quote their “WEEE number”.

Although most lighting producers and suppliers do comply with the WEEE regulations, there are still a few who, either by choice or in ignorance, do not join a compliance scheme. These “Free riders” effectively avoid contributing their share of the cost of compliance and are in breach of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, increasing the burden on those who do comply.

Every compliant company is registered with the Environment Agency, and details are published online. Once registered, the company receives a WEEE number. Lighting specifiers can do their bit for recycling by asking companies to quote this WEEE number, thereby ensuring that they only use compliant suppliers, who are contributing to the costs of recycling.