Discard used energy-saving bulbs and tubes with care

Global lighting giant Philips predicts that by 2015, 50% of the global lighting market will be LED, and if that comes true, then the disposal of compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) could be less as a problem on a macro scale.

However, the high price barrier for LEDs means that most households will continue to use CFLs as they wait for the former to be more affordable, and this means that proper CFL disposal will remain a challenge in the short to medium term.

 
(Left) A 11W CFL bulb contains 2mg of mercury, and will go up according to the bulb size. 
(Right) The collection box at Ikea store in Petaling Jaya. 


Saving energy through the use of efficient lighting has been touted as a green act, but this is an incomplete picture as no focus has been given on end-of-life handling. Using CFLs is green only if the mercury inside is properly locked, if not recovered for reuse.


Problem with indiscriminate disposal

Added in vapour form, mercury is an essential part of the CFL technology, as it allows the bulbs to be an efficient light source. The downside of CFLs is that each bulb contains a small amount of mercury, typically around 4mg, that remain sealed within the glass tubing.

To compare, the old mercury-based thermometers can contain up to 500mg of mercury, which is more than what is found in 100 CFLs.

If mercury is swallowed, less than 1/1000 is absorbed by the body and most of it is eliminated, mainly through the urine and faeces. But the problem with mercury is that it is a persistent, bio-accumulative toxin. When the cumulative amount is huge, such as through the widespread use of fluorescent lamps, then there might be a real possibility of mercury contaminating landfills.


Discard with care

In some developed countries, like the United States, there are systematic efforts to salvage usable parts and materials from used CFL bulbs. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the recycling of CFLs and other fluorescent bulbs allows the reuse of the glass, metals and other materials that make up the bulbs.

It says virtually all components of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled. It is possible to separate the glass, phosphor powder and metal bits from crushed lights for reuse, but in Malaysia, this entire load is buried in a secured landfill.

For that to happen anywhere, there needs to be a proper disposal and collection system, whether mandated or otherwise. Malaysian regulations do not state that households need to properly dispose their CFLs. It is the same for Singapore, which allows households to throw away used bulbs along with their household waste.


IKEA the only one making an effort so far?

According to recent The Star report, Ikea in Malaysia is the only volunteer in doing its part to help reduce the problem of mercury emissions. It has placed a bulb collection box at its Mutiara Damansara store in Petaling Jaya, Selangor since 2010. No purchase is necessary for people to use the facility.

At its store, Ikea crushes the bulbs (along with fluorescent tubes) by using a specialised machine called the Bulb Eater, manufactured by US-based Air Cycle which cost the store RM20,000, before sending the waste to a secured landfill managed by Kualiti Alam at Bukit Nanas, Negri Sembilan. Thus far, the store has collected 11 drums of crushed lights weighing about three tonnes.

Kualiti Alam bills Ikea up to RM3,750 (not including transportation) for each tonne of crushed bulbs it receives.

Image credit: The Star. Full article can be found at The Star here.

: :        : :        : :        : :        : :        : :

TheGreenMechanics: Participation by other private entities and NGOs is crucial. The government must play a role in easing the way for anyone wanting to promote the proper disposal of used bulbs/tubes. Ikea is definitely alone here.

Set up one center for each state for a start, then we can move on from there.

Low-energy light bulbs: are they bad for the environment?

Being low-energy certainly doesn't suit every occasion. Image: cartoonstock.com

Every now and then you hear people talking and promoting the use of low-energy light bulbs. It's for the environment and your pocket, so they say. So, are they actually good or bad for the environment, and you?

Image: thesun.co.uk

The good news is that low-energy bulbs help to reduce carbon emissions. The downside is that they contain mercury. Although it is only present in small amounts, about one-thousandths of a gram, but it can be environmentally damaging if the bulbs are carelessly disposed of.

Careless means throwing or burying them in landfill. Mercury is a scheduled waste and needs to be treated prior to disposal. It's also harmful to breathe mercury in, so if you accidentally smash a bulb, vacate the room and stay out for at least fifteen minutes.


Reference: sciencefocus

Warning Against Energy Saving Devices

If you haven't heard yet about Energy Saving Device (ESD), it refers to the small 'black box' aimed at reducing domestic power consumption. Marketers claim that such devices can save 20% to 40% of energy resulting in lower electricity bill.

Does it really work, or is energy saving a mere myth?

If you are referring to domestic households my answer is NO! It doesn't work. At least not as per what's advertised. Equipment, machines, gadgets, black box, or whatever they may call it and sold as ESDs had capacitors, which improved the power factor (PF) and reduced the electrical current flow. But the electricity bill will be based on how much power was consumed.

The PF is the ratio between the power required to run a machine compared with the power originating from the utility supply, e.g., TNB, SESB, Sesco. The slight drop in current flow shown in the device often lead the public to think that it equates to a lower electricity bill.

What it does is:

1) improve the power factor,

2) lower the current (normally starting current) flow slightly for a moment depending on the size of the load in relation to the capacitor in the ESD.

As a domestic consumer, you are not significantly affected by both of the above. You do not need to improve your power factor at home as the utility company will not penalise you for lower PF. For the record, TNB requires that all (only) industrial consumers maintain PF at their premises at 0.85 or above.

At the most, you would probably save 1% to 3% but definitely not 40% as claimed by some ESD marketers. Energy saving devices are known to have been sold for around RM200 to RM400, depending on its usage capacity. However, there are also version that are sold at RM1,000 or above.

I have one at home

Out of curiousity, and wanting to find out what's inside the small black box, I purchase a certain ESD for RM250 not too long ago. I don't support such claim, and I didn't expect to save from this but I just need to get the 'feel' of it and to see how the gadget would look.

I will share the picture, here later.

Read the rest of the news piece from Bernama

'Consumers warned against Energy Saving devices'

KEPALA BATAS, April 17 (Bernama) -- Energy Commission Regional Head for Penang, Kedah and Perlis, Ir Md Zakuan Ibrahim has advised the public not to buy energy saving devices which promise to save power consumption by 40 per cent.

The devices which have been sold widely recently, do not live up to its claims and the commission has also retracted its recommendation on the device three months ago.

"The recommendation issued by the Energy Commission is only in regards to safety, not in terms of reducing power consumption. The device confuses consumers as it only allows savings of between one to five per cent, and not 40 per cent," he told reporters after a programme with Penang community leaders.

He said the device, which has been in the market for 10 years, is not a controlled item under the Energy Commission and has no specific legal provision should consumers be cheated.

However, Md Zakuan said the Energy Commission can take legal action through the Consumer Protection Act under the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (MDTCC).

So, they are all big fat liars?

I would say not totally.

There are also those that are specifically manufactured for large industrial applications. Of course, in this case, the design is more complex and are suited for specific energy reduction objectives. Industrial applications are more of a solution package, where they are offered as a system rather than a single small 'magic' gadget.

They can be in the form of inverters, power factor capacitor banks, etc., to cater for different purposes related to energy saving. This should not be mistaken for the domestic applications where saving generated is not documented.

For further readings, see what Datuk Peter Chin (Malaysian Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water) posted in his blog about ESDs.