Scary Facts About CFLs Entering B.C. Canada Landfills
staff writer LEDCanada.com
- Only 19-24% fluorescent products will be returned in 2013.
This includes CFLs
- 2012 , CFLs Sold in B.C. 3,937,758 (20 % capture very HIGH estimate )-
- Over 3 million CFLs heading to BC landfills at 3-10 mg mercury content each!
- 5- 30 kilograms of Mercury total! Just from CFLs!
When a single drop can contaminate an entire lake, what damage will many kilos of mercury leeching into our rivers and streams do?
As the world BANS mercury from ALL consumer products, Why do CFLs sales continue unheeded?
Choose LED ,SSL (solid state lighting) to Help Stop Mercury Contamination of Our Environment.
Check these facts from:
| Material | Composition of a CFL | Composition of Fluorescent Tube |
| Glass | 75-90% | 75-95% |
| Mercury | <0.015% | <0.01-<0.05% |
| Lead Oxide | 0.2-2% | 0.2-2% |
| Aluminum Oxide | 0-2% | 0-2% |
| Phosphor Powder | 0.5-3% | 0.5-3% |
| Miscellaneous Compounds (fluoride, manganese dust, tin dust etc.) | 0-0.1% | 0-0.1% per compound |
| Consumer Awareness: | |
| Percent of population aware of the program | 45% of population by end of 2013, 50% of the population by end of 2015, 55% of the population by end of 2017 |
Capture Rate
A capture rate compares the quantity of products collected in a year to the quantity of products believed to be “available for collection” in that year. A capture rate model is considered more appropriate than a recovery rate model (units collected/units sold in that year) for lamps given the long and increasing lifespans of these products and changing sales patterns of various lamps categories.
| Table 4 – Capture Rate Targets – Fluorescent Tubes and CFLs 2012* | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017* | ||||||
| Fluorescent Tubes | 10-12% | 16-25% | 22-37% | 28-50% | 34-62% | 40-75% | |||||
| CFLs | 19-24% | 24-30% | 28-38% | 32-50% | 36-62% | 40-75% | |||||
| Fluorescent Tubes Available to Collect and Targeted for Collection, 2012-2017 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | ||||||
| Available to Collect – TOTAL | 2,925,358 | 5,850,715 | 5,850,715 | 5,850,715 | 5,850,715 | 2,925,358 | |||||
| Capture Rate – Low Target | 10% | 16% | 22% | 28% | 34% | 40% | |||||
| Targeted for Collection (Low) | 292,536 | 936,114 | 1,287,157 | 1,638,200 | 1,989,243 | 1,170,143 | |||||
| Capture Rate – High Target | 12% | 25% | 37% | 50% | 62% | 75% | |||||
| Targeted for Collection (High) | 351,043 | 1,462,679 | 2,164,765 | 2,925,358 | 3,627,443 | 2,194,018 | |||||
| Estimated BC CFL Sales, 2004-20117CFLs | |||
| Year Sold | C & I | Consumer | Total |
| 2004 | 497,240 | 826,789 | 1,324,028 |
| 2005 | 521,453 | 1,687,820 | 2,209,273 |
| 2006 | 598,413 | 1,696,583 | 2,294,996 |
| 2007 | 890,185 | 3,865,000 | 4,755,185 |
| 2008 | 922,543 | 3,253,492 | 4,176,035 |
| 2009 | 1,081,461 | 2,539,547 | 3,621,008 |
| 2010 | 1,018,170 | 2,919,588 | 3,937,758 |
| 2011 | 1,018,170 | 2,919,588 | 3,937,758 |
http://www.productcare.org/documents/bc-lights/BC-Lamps-Lighting-Equipment-Stewardship-Plan-Oct-1-11.pdf
