Recycling statistics:

• According to NEMA, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, lamp recycling has increased from less than 10 million lamps in 1990, to 70 million lamps in 1997, to 156 million lamps in 2003.  View the 2004 national recycling rate data.

• NEMA also estimates that lamp recycling in 2003 recovered approximately 5,720 pounds of mercury.

• Businesses use 85+% of all mercury-containing lamps.

• The national recycling rate in the commercial and industrial sectors is close to 30%, according to the Association of Lamp and Mercury Recyclers, while the national recycling rate is about 23%, and residential recycling is at less than 5%.

The following states have landfill bans for mercury-containing lamps:

          For businesses and households:    

                                   California (residential beginning 2/9/06)

                                   Maine

                                   Minnesota

                                   Vermont

                                   Parts of Florida

          For businesses only:

                                   Connecticut

                                   Rhode Island

                                   New York

Mercury emissions (NEMA):

• The lighting industry uses approximately 9 tons of mercury in manufacturing energy-efficient lamps.

• Coal-fired utilities emit 43 tons of mercury to generate power.

• Lamp breakage releases up to 1 ton of mercury annually into the air.

• Recycling lamps at the end-of-life releases less than one-tenth of a ton (<.1) of mercury into the air. 

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