Mercury in some electric lamps pollutes groundwater , making normal disposal methods unsuitable
Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi will soon build facilities to ensure the safe disposal and recycling of all types of electric lamps. It is an important move as some types of electric lamps contain mercury that pollutes groundwater after being dumped in landfills.
Tadweer, the Centre of Waste Management – Abu Dhabi, is working on the development of storage units and recycling facilities for electric lamps as part of the master plan for waste management in the emirate, a senior official told Gulf News.
Tadweer is the government organisation responsible for waste management in Abu Dhabi.
Technically, all electric lamps come under the category of Waste Electronics and Electrical Equipment (WEEEs).
The process to build the facilities involves the quantification and characterisation of all lamps under this category, said Eng Faris Al Munaiei, Project and Facilities Department director at Tadweer.
The centre is examining this issue and will be designing and building the storage units and recycling facilities based on the results, he said.
The centre has also asked its Environmental Service Providers, private companies undertaking waste management operations, to help find the most suitable solutions to this problem.
Disposing of electric lamps in regular waste bins is not a suitable option because of their hazardous contents, an expert said.
Some electric lamps contain mercury that can pollute groundwater when they are dumped in landfills, said Ida Tillisch, director general of Emirates Wildlife Society–WWF.
A federal authority is creating a mechanism to dispose of electric lamps in coordination with local authorities across the country, a senior official said.
Emirates Standardisation and Metrology Authority (Esma) is working on this following its decision to implement new indoor lighting standards in the UAE from July 1, said Eng Mohammad Saleh Badri, director general of Esma. Like Tadweer in Abu Dhabi, municipalities are responsible for the safe disposal of lamps in other emirates, he said.
As Gulf News reported, the new standards will not allow incandescent bulbs and lamps that contain high levels of mercury into the UAE market.
Incandescent bulbs have to be replaced by CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps), Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and halogen bulbs. All bulbs have to meet the new standard based on environment, safety and efficiency criteria.
There is no restriction on using existing low-standard bulbs, which last for around one year. An estimated 85 million lamps are in use in the UAE, of which 78 per cent — around 63 million — are low-standard ones. But these bulbs will not be available in the market from July 1.
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