Light sources

All light sources collected by El-Kretsen are transported to Nordic Recycling in Hovmantorp in southern Sweden. This recycling facility receives around 3,000 tonnes of light sources every year in every shape, from fluorescent tubes and light bulbs to energy-saving light bulbs and LED lamps.

1. The waste is weighed and registered on arrival.
2. Then it goes into a system using sealed chambers where the lamps are crushed before being passed through a bath. This allows the phosphor powder inside the lamps to sink to the bottom, where it can be removed to be handled separately. This process is very important, as the powder also contains mercury. For safety reasons, all light sources are treated in the same way.
3. Once the mercury has been removed and phased out of the recycling loop, the remaining crushed material can be sorted into glass and metals. Both these materials can then be recovered and reused. One use for crushed glass is as filling material in concrete.