OSRAM DULUX F - Manual (Page 96)

Economical long-life light sources with plug-in bases
Compact Fluorescent Lamps OSRAM DULUX ®
Technical Guide
94
8 OSRAM DULUX ® and the environment
8.1 Contents
Like all discharge lamps, OSRAM DULUX ® lamps are sealed systems, if used as prescribed.
Therefore they do not have any effect on the environment apart from emitting light. The most
important substance in discharge lamps as far as the environment is concerned is mercury.
Discharge lamps must contain some mercury in order to generate light. By using a patented dosing
procedure, OSRAM has succeeded in reducing the amount of mercury in most models to the
currently minimum needed to guarantee reliable operation of around 1.3 mg per lamp.
8.2 Waste disposal
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) regulations state that in the
EU since July 1, 2005 all old electrical equipment including failed discharge
lamps must be sent for proper recycling. For private consumers this means that
they will have to hand the old lamps in to local recycling centres free of charge.
In the B2B sector (Business to Business), discharge lamps with mercury residue
qualify as waste requiring special supervision (special waste code) with a
corresponding duty to dispose them carefully. This applies for example to
mercury vapour lamps and (compact) fluorescent lamps.
In Germany this is, today, regulated by the “Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz“ and its legislation.
All the above-mentioned lamps affected by the WEEE regulations have a symbol on the packaging
showing a dustbin with a line through it.