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Guidelines for Selecting, Distributing and Recycling Environmentally-Preferable Light Bulbs During Mass Giveaways
Many chapters and groups of the Sierra
Club plan to or have engaged in commu-
nity-based programs to distribute en-
ergy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps
(CFLs). These efforts help educate con-
sumers about easy and important ways to
reduce energy consumption. Three times
more efficient than standard incandes-
cent light bulbs, CFLs significantly re-
duce mercury, greenhouse gases and
other toxic emissions coming from coal-
fired power plants. At the same time,
concerns have been raised because all
CFLs contain mercury and some models
contain lead. The vast majority of CFLs
ends up in landfills or trash incinerators
where these hazardous substances can get
released into the environment.
These Guidelines seek to balance and ad-
vance the Sierra Clubs goals of climate
protection, toxics reduction and zero
waste. The primary purpose of these
Guidelines is to help Sierra Club chap-
ters and groups optimize environmental
benefits of energy-efficient lamp distri-
bution programs in their communities.
The intention is to design distribution
programs that pressure corporations to
provide less-toxic lamps, and create pro-
ducer-funded retail recycling opportuni-
ties that make it as easy for customers to
recycle CFLs as it is to buy them. These
guidelines advocate some actions that go
beyond the capacity of individual con-
sumers; however, recommendations have
been included that will help individuals
select the best lamps when making their
purchases at retail stores.
Summary Checklist:
Specifying CFLs for
Distribution Programs
I
Require
ENERGY STAR
qualified CFLs
(www.energystar.gov) with a minimum
rated life of 10,000 hours, and with the
highest efficiency (lumens per
watt). Look for the Energy Star
logo on the packaging.
I
Require companies to disclose mercury
content (in milligrams - mg) and any
lead in solder and/or glass.
I
Specify lamps with 5 mg of mercury or
less and favor ones with less than 3 mg.
I
Choose lead-free whenever available
(usually labeled as such).
I
Choose manufacturers and distributors
offering private-sector-financed collec-
tion and recycling programs.
I
Include local recycling information with
lamps. Encourage consumers to use local
retail and other private collection systems
when available. Publicly-funded collection
should be promoted as transitional to the
creation of private collection opportunities.
I
Prepare consumer-friendly fact sheets
and other materials that respect local tra-
ditions, culture and language.
I
Include instructions about what to do
(and not do) if a CFL breaks (see below).
I
Distribute in cooperation with com-
munity leadership, consistent with Envi-
ronmental Justice protocols.
Recommendations for
Individuals Purchasing CFLs
I
Whenever available, choose
CFLs in an
ENERGY STAR
la-
beled package. This will help
ensure you buy a more energy efficient
and higher performing product.
I
Choose the CFL that meets your needs
and has the longest rated life. Look for
products that last at least 10,000 hours.
This information is almost always
printed on the package.
I
Choose the most energy-efficient
model with the fewest watts to give you
the light output you need. (CFLs tend to
Guidelines for Selecting, Distributing and Recycling
Environmentally-Preferable Light Bulbs During
Mass Giveaways
Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet
Sierra Club Headquarters: 85 Second St., Second Floor San Francisco, CA 94105 (415) 977-5500
Sierra Club Washington, D.C. Office: 408 C St. NE Washington, DC 20002 (202) 547-1141 www.sierraclub.org/policy fade over their life; so pick one slightly
brighter than the incandescent lamp you
are replacing.)
I
Choose lamps made by companies
pledging to keep mercury content below 5-
6 mg by going to www.nema.org/gov/ehs/
committees/lamps/cfl-mercury.cfm.
I
Choose CFLs that manufacturers ad-
vertise as lead-free.
I
Choose retailers that offer to collect
spent CFLs (and other fluorescent
lamps). While Ikea is the only U.S. re-
tailer that recycles burned-out CFLs con-
sumers bring back to stores, a
retailer-financed lamp take-back pro-
gram has been established in Europe.
Encourage manufacturers/retailers in
your community to set up on-going re-
cycling programs for their customers.
Background and Rationale
1. Use energy efficient, long-lasting
bulbs
Sierra Club commits to distributing
only
ENERGY STAR
-qualified lighting
products, including CFLs and Solid
State Lighting (SSLs-including light-
emitting diodes (LEDs).
The
ENERGY STAR
program, which is
jointly run by the US Department of
Energy and the US Environmental Pro-
tection Agency (EPA), qualifies CFLs,
SSLs and other energy-efficient lighting
products that meet minimum perform-
ance standards for efficacy, lamp life, and
light quality. Qualified lighting products
are listed on the
ENERGY STAR
website at
www.energystar.gov. CFLs chosen for
mass distribution programs should offer
the highest efficiency, which is measured
in lumens per watt. CFLs tend to fade
over time, so it is important to specify
models that emit about 20-30 percent
more initial lumens than the incandes-
cent it is replacing.
The
ENERGY STAR
program has set a
minimum rated life of 6,000 hours for
all qualified CFLs but the programs
website indicates that nearly 1,000 mod-
els have a rated life of 10,000 hours or
more. The
ENERGY STAR
criteria for
LEDs was released in September 2007.
As LEDs become more available and af-
fordable, the Sierra Club should include
them in their distribution programs
since they are longer-lasting and mer-
cury-free.
ENERGY STAR
-qualified LED
lights must have a rated life of at least
25,000 hours.
The specification and distribution of
long-lasting CFLs and LEDs minimizes
environmental impacts by reducing the
number of light bulbs that need to be
manufactured, transported, and ulti-
mately recycled, as well as the number
that may end up in the trash. It also
drives innovation by supporting compa-
nies that have invested in high-perform-
ance technology.
2. Use least-toxic bulbs
Sierra Club commits to distributing
light bulbs that have the least mercury
and lead.
While all CFLs currently contain mer-
cury, the amount they contain can vary
from 1-30 milligrams (mg), depending on
manufacturer and model. Several major
manufacturers (including some members
of the National Electrical Manufacturers
Association, www.nema.org/gov/ehs/
committees/lamps/cfl-mercury.cfm.)
have agreed to cap mercury at 5 mg in
most models, but some CFLs are avail-
able with as little as 1 mg of mercury.
Sierra Club distribution programs
should specify CFLs with a maximum of
5 mg of mercury and give preference to
CFLs with less than 3 mg of mercury.
Similarly, many CFLs (and other light
bulbs with screw-in bases) are made with
lead in the solder and glass. Lead-free
CFLs are becoming increasing available
in the marketplace as lead solder is being
banned from other electronic and electri-
cal applications in Europe and elsewhere.
Sierra Club encourages its members to
distribute lead-free CFLs whenever they
are available and meet other performance
and environmental criteria. In addition,
LEDs (which are mercury-free but may
contain some other heavy metals) should
be evaluated for toxicity and considered
for inclusion in Sierra Clubs distribution
programs when they are determined to
be efficient, environmentally preferable
and cost-effective for specific applica-
tions.
The specification of low-mercury, mer-
cury-free, and lead-free lamps protects
workers manufacturing these products,
consumers (especially if the light bulbs
accidentally break), and the environ-
ment. Workers are further protected
whenever fluorescent lamps are manu-
factured with encapsulated mercury dos-
ing technologiessuch as pellets, pills or
amalgam rather than traditional liquid-
mercury dosing methods. Mercury is a
toxic heavy metal that persists in the en-
vironment, concentrates in the food
chain, and causes nerve and brain dam-
age, heart disease and cancer. Lead, like
mercury, is a persistent, bioaccumulative
and toxic chemical known to cause seri-
ous, long-term health damage, particu-
larly to childrens brains.
Sierra Club encourages manufacturers to
label their lamps and packaging with in-
formation on mercury and lead content
for each model. Mercury content should
be labeled as a maximum per lamp, not
an average or range. In addition, S