Light bulbs

Depending on the type of light bulb you have, there are different ways to dispose of recycle light bulbs. Please check below for the details on specific light bulbs.

Filament bulbs:

Filament bulbs (Older style 'incandescent', halogen or non-energy saving) cannot be recycled and should be put, wrapped in paper, in your general rubbish in the red bags or bin.

Energy saving light bulbs (fluorescent and LED):

Energy saving light bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain small amounts of mercury, which is hazardous, and should not be put into your rubbish or mixed recycling. LED based lighting is classed as electrical waste (WEEE) and requires separate collection and recycling. 

You can hand in these light bulbs at the retailers which selling these units.  Please search here to find your local collection point. 

You can also drop them off at the Mobile Recycling Centre.

Alternatively you can set up hazardous waste collections for fluorescent tubes and energy saving light bulbs via this link.  

Additional information:

We advise replacing your old light bulbs with energy saving ones because they last eight times longer, use a quarter of the energy and give the same brightness. LED lighting is becoming a better long-term investment as it is even more energy-efficient.