Omicron New Zealand Ltd

Help us keep Mercury Contained

Our Committment

At Omicron we are commited to keeping mercury out of the enviroment.

How can I recycle my box of burnt out bulbs?

Check with your local council as many have drop-off points at the local refuse centre where you can deposit your burnt-out bulbs.

Why keep the Mercury contained

As you know, energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps need to contain a small amount of mercury to sustain lamp life and maximise the amount of light produced per watt Mercury is a natural element that is released into the air by coal combustion and waste incineration. Coal-burning power plants, are the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions into the air. Mercury in the air eventually settles into water or onto land where it can be washed into water. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans.

There is absolutely no danger of the mercury trapped inside the lamp, getting into the air directly from an operating lamp. It may bind with the glass or the phosphors or other coatings, but it stays in the lamp. Even when we manufacture the lamps, mercury is carefully contained by the manufacturing process.

The only opportunity for mercury to be released into the environment is breakage at the end of the lamp’s life. This occurs when lamps are thrown into bins or rubbish trucks, during disposal. Because the amount of mercury in each lamp is low, breaking one lamp does not present a health threat. But the improper disposal of large numbers of lamps, presents a large environmental problem which ends up in one location, the local landfill.