Energy-saving lamp recycling system urgently needed

The National Development and Reform Commission recently issued a roadmap for the phase-out of incandescent lamps: From October 1, 2012, China will gradually ban the import and sale of incandescent lamps for general lighting in stages according to the size of power. In 2008, hundreds of millions of old energy-saving lamps donated to remote mountainous areas by the state's “Green Lighting” project and the “Guangmingxing” public welfare project that was later implemented are entering the centralized retirement period, and will consume more than 1 billion yuan annually in the future. only. According to experts, the life span of the first listed energy-saving lamps is generally three years. An ordinary energy-saving lamp contains about 0.5 milligrams of mercury. After seeping into the ground, it can cause 180 tons of water to become “poisonous” and unable to be used. Once the energy-saving lamp is damaged or disposed of after disposal, these harmful elements and substances are likely to cause harm to the environment and human body. At present, the “National Hazardous Waste List” has included waste and energy-saving lamps, among which the old-fashioned energy-saving lamps are called “secondary sources of mercury pollution” second only to waste batteries. However, according to the reporter's understanding, at present China has not established a nationwide, standardized energy-saving lamp recycling system and system.

The situation is very critical

According to Xie, deputy director of the Department of Resource Conservation and Environmental Protection of the National Development and Reform Commission, China is a major producer and consumer of lighting products. The output of energy-saving lamps and incandescent lamps ranks first in the world. Last year, the output of incandescent lamps and domestic sales were respectively 38.5. Billions and 1.07 billion only. At the same time, the total output of China's energy-saving lamps is 4.26 billion, accounting for about 80% of the world's total output.

However, 95% of the dozens of people who were randomly surveyed by reporters in supermarkets and communities told reporters that if energy-saving lamps were broken, they would be thrown away. Although some members of the public told reporters that they knew that the energy-saving lamps contained mercury, they had to throw them away because they did not have a dedicated agency to recycle. Ren Min, director of the Department of Environmental Economics Management at the School of the Environment at Renmin University of China, said that the promotion of energy-saving lamps has achieved energy conservation and emission reductions, but “the use of energy-saving lamps and the recovery of no channels” has become one of the prominent problems in current electronic waste.

According to a reporter in a Philips 5W electronic energy-saving lamp brochure, the energy-saving lamp contains six harmful elements such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, and polybrominated diphenyl ether, distributed in energy-saving lamps. Capillary, lamp cap, ballast in 3 parts. According to the "Limit Requirements for Toxic and Hazardous Substances in Electronic Information Products" issued by the Ministry of Information Industry, there are lead and mercury in the capillary tube of spiral-shaped electronic energy-saving lamps, lead in ballasts, and polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated biphenyls in plastic parts. Excessive levels of ether; while some energy-saving lamps in the capillary, lamp, ballast all lead exceeded, excessive mercury in the capillary.

An environmentalist said that the harmful effects of low-dose mercury toxicity on human body systems, including adult muscle strength, increased fatigue, and offspring malformations, can cause language and memory shortages and attention in children and infants. Decentralization, autism, delay in walking ability, etc. Once lead enters the body, it will hinder the synthesis of blood, leading to anemia, headaches and soreness in the body. Invasion of brain nerve tissue may also cause children's growth retardation, hyperactivity disorder, mental retardation and other illnesses.

Corporate apathy

Reporters visited in Beijing, Hunan, and other places found that whether it is supermarkets or waste recycling stations, waste energy-saving lamps, "do not give white." The owner of a lighting store in Beijing said that once companies started collecting public funds, they were considered to be refurbishing and reselling energy-saving lamps. In addition, the energy-saving lamp recycling box to pad sponge, transported carefully, engage in recycling purely "lose money earning!" A lighting business manager said that public welfare activities carried out in some large cities and towns in the middle of the country often do not receive a few energy-saving lamps for a long time. The old energy-saving lamps used in garbage cans and rubbish dumps are often visible. Ordinary household waste is sent to landfill or incinerated.

According to the reporter’s understanding, the Shanghai Electronic Waste Center has a set of 1700 tons of imported energy-saving lamps that are used in the country. It is very rare in China.

In this type of processing line, workers wearing protective equipment put the used energy-saving lamps into the processing equipment and recover them through crushing and mercury absorption. However, this company has a serious "failure to eat" phenomenon, mainly relying on some organ units to send some waste lamp over.

Mr. Wang, a waste recycler who used to recycle waste energy-saving lamps, told reporters that for waste recyclers and processors, waste energy-saving lamps do not have the same recycling value as waste bottles and waste household appliances. "No profit." Another Mr. Li, who is still in the recycling business, told China Union Business Daily: “The acquisition of a waste energy-saving lamp recycling and treatment line may require more than 10 million yuan in capital investment. After the assembly line is completed, each waste energy-saving lamp is completed. The cost of recycling also needs to be around RMB 1. “Because energy-saving lamps are fragile, there are special requirements in transportation, and the sources are scattered when recycling. For some recycling companies, transportation costs are high. The waste recycler calculated an account for reporters: "Retrieve the waste lamp and extract usable substances, that is, phosphors and some useful elements. A lamp can only be used for a maximum of 8 corners. In other words, if there is no subsidy, depending on the company itself, it will lose 2 cents each time it deals with recycling an energy-saving lamp. Naturally, it has no enthusiasm."

International experience is worth learning

Zhang Yanlin, research director of China Investment Consulting Co., Ltd. pointed out that the domestic recycling of energy-saving lamps is still in its infancy. Drawing on the recycling methods of developed countries is of great significance. Among the countries with outstanding achievements in energy-saving lamp recycling are Japan, European countries and Singapore. All three countries have formulated relevant laws to regulate. Building a chain where producers, retailers, and consumers share the cost of recycling is their common denominator. Among them, the European countries adopt the approach of retailers responsible for recycling, producers responsible for processing and comprehensive utilization, and consumers responsible for part of the recovery costs.

Mr. Xin, a Shenzhen-based energy-saving lamp producer who is familiar with the European and American markets, told reporters: “The import of an energy-saving lamp in France is subject to a tax of 0.15 euros, which is handed over to a professional company for recycling. There are advertisements at the entrance to the supermarket, asking the public to The harmless treatment of energy-saving lamps; the EU implemented a producer social responsibility extension system, and commissioned third-party organizations to supervise the production enterprises; many states in the United States have legislation, energy-saving lamps can not just throw, there is a courier company on-site recycling, but consumers want For example, in Japan, companies pay to take the waste lamp to the recycling center, and the family recycles the waste lamp through waste sorting, and the recycling rate of waste energy-saving lamps in Taiwan is more than 80%. The company Zhongtai Resources Technology Co., Ltd. has formed a recycling system for the manufacture, sale and recycling of waste lighting. The recycling rates of mercury, phosphor, and glass are 100%, 60%, and 30%, respectively."

Wang Canfa, a professor of environmental law at the China University of Political Science and Law, said: "As far as I know, China has no relevant legislation on waste separation and heavy metal recycling. There is a gap in the recycling of energy-saving lamps." He suggested that the state should issue relevant regulations. We will establish special regulations for the use of waste materials such as used energy-saving lamps and batteries that contain harmful metals, establish specialized recycling agencies, and clarify the responsibilities of various departments. Specifically, the National Development and Reform Commission should issue policies to encourage enterprises to recycle waste energy-saving lamps so that companies can make money and earn money, or give subsidies to recycling companies to ensure that the company does not lose money; the sanitation department is responsible for garbage sorting; the commercial department is responsible for recycling; and the environmental protection department is taking measures Governance.