Orange Electric to recycle CFL bulbs with Sweden specialist

Orange Electric has entered a joint venture partnership with Nordic Recycling, market leader in recycling lamps in Scandinavia to set up a plant to recycle CFL bulbs at Pitipana in the Avissawella District.

“We hope to put an end to mercury in CFL bulbs contaminating our beautiful country’s environment, and urge the public to dispose of CFL bulbs responsibly. We shall take in any brand of used CFL bulb for recycling and we hope to drastically reduce the amount of mercury entering our waterways and rivers through this initiative,” said a spokesperson for Orange Electric.

Nordic Recycling AB, of Sweden will provide the technology and technical know-how for the plant which is expected to be operational shortly, while Orange Electric will carry out collection and recycling functions.

Orange said that mercury is what shows the temperature on thermometers, goes to making the amalgam used in tooth fillings, and now goes in to making CFL bulbs energy efficient so we can save on our electricity bills while reducing global warming is, paradoxically,  one of the most dangerous pollutants on Earth!

Also, called quicksilver, mercury is one of the heaviest liquid metals on earth; iron floats on mercury.  The trouble is fish don’t – they die when exposed to it a little bit of it. Exposure to just a few milligrams of mercury can cause the deaths of hundreds of fish.

The impact of humans, although not as disastrous, is more lingering.

Dementia, impaired neurological development in children, impairment of eyesight, particularly peripheral vision, of speech, hearing and movement are some common effects of mercury poisoning.

Unfortunately, most people don’t give special attention to the disposal of items containing mercury and dump them with the rest of the garbage, often resulting in the mercury entering the waterways and rivers.

It’s certainly a matter of concern that the public isn’t aware of the dangers of dumping used CFL bulbs with other garbage, said a prominent environmentalist attached to the Central Environmental Authority, noting that even well educated citizens pay scant regard to responsibly disposing CFL bulbs.

“Mercury is one of the most toxic substances on earth, second only to plutonium, the article states. In the last century, mercury levels in the global environment have tripled as a result of increased pollution from industrial, occupational, medicinal and domestic uses.  To understand just how toxic mercury is, we can refer to Vermont’s Water Quality Standards (VWQS).

Four and seven-tenths parts per billion (ppb) is the highest concentration of lead to which aquatic life can be exposed for an extended period of time once every three years without deleterious effects. The standard for mercury exposure is only .012 ppb, 391 times lower than the concentration of lead it takes to contaminate fish,” Orange said.

Mercury is the only metal listed in the Vermont Water Quality Standards that bio accumulates, or builds up. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection says, “One pound of mercury has the potential to render two million pounds of fish unsafe to eat.”

A report prepared for the United Nations Environmental Program says, “Mercury concentrations in the environment are now on the verge of exceeding a threshold that endangers the citizenry of every continent.  How can we limit exposure to mercury? How can we stop poisoning ourselves?

The Central Environmental Authority (CEA) investigated several options and invited industry to participate in finding solutions that address this great danger to the environment and lives of Sri Lankans. Orange Electric, Sri Lanka’s largest producer of switches, sockets, cables and low voltage switchgear and market leader in CFL bulbs, responding to the call, submitted a proposal that used the most advanced recycling technology available. It has been accepted by the Central Environmental Authority.