- Project Description
- Description of the enterprise
- Service staff
- Organization services
- Marketing plan
- Production plan
- Enterprise expenses
- Enterprise income
- Similar business ideas:
We bring to your attention a business plan for opening a collection and processing enterprise fluorescent lamps using the example of Dimitrovgrad.
Project Description
Disposal of fluorescent (energy-saving) lamps- this is an important issue in modern world, as there is a rapid growth in the widespread use of energy-saving lamps, both in production and in everyday life. Their popularity is primarily due to their high luminous efficiency of up to 100 lm/W at low operating temperatures and a service life of up to 40 thousand hours. These indicators are tens of times higher than the parameters of ordinary incandescent lamps. Considering constant growth prices for world energy resources, it becomes clear that in soon There will be no alternative to fluorescent lamps. But despite all the advantages, such lamps have one significant drawback - they contain mercury, a substance dangerous to humans.
Today, many enterprises, both small and large, have switched from conventional lamps to energy-saving ones. At some large production complexes their number can reach tens of thousands. In this regard, the problem of recycling fluorescent lamps and other mercury-containing waste arises. This problem requires a systematic approach. Where to dispose of waste that is extremely dangerous for humans and the whole environment?
According to Art. 8.2 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offenses, for non-compliance with environmental and sanitary-epidemiological requirements when handling toxic waste, a fine of 10 to 30 thousand is imposed on officials, for entrepreneurs the fine amount will be even higher - from 30 to 50 thousand, and for legal entities fines have already reached 100 - 250 thousand rubles. In case of repeated violation, liability may become criminal. To avoid such consequences, organizations and individual entrepreneurs need to hand over damaged lamps to special enterprises for processing (recycling) mercury-containing waste.
Purpose of this project is the opening of the first enterprise in Dimitrovgrad for the processing of fluorescent lamps and mercury-containing waste. Currently, all enterprises, organizations and residents of the city are forced to hand over fluorescent lamps to remote collection points located in Ulyanovsk or in Samara region. This fact contributes to situations of violation of the rules for recycling fluorescent lamps, which negatively affects environmental safety city environment. Opening a lamp processing plant in Dimitrovgrad will help solve this problem.
How much money do you need to open an enterprise for collecting and processing fluorescent lamps?
To implement the project, it is necessary to attract investments in the amount of 3,395,000 rubles. Of these, half of the funds will be used for the construction of a facility for processing mercury-containing waste. Also, a significant part of the investments is aimed at developing projects and obtaining licenses.
Social and economic results project implementation:
- Registration new organization on the territory of Dimitrovgrad;
- Assistance in improving the environmental safety of the city of Dimitrovgrad;
- Creation of new jobs;
- Admission to budget system Dimitrovgrad additional tax payments.
Description of the enterprise
To organize the processing process, a workshop with an area of 200 m2 will be built in compliance with all SanPiN standards. The company is planned to be located in the industrial zone of Dimitrovgrad near the street. Automakers. The organizational and legal form of the enterprise is limited liability company "AERA". Taxation system - simplified tax system (6%).
What equipment to choose for a fluorescent lamp processing plant
The necessary equipment for recycling includes: The Ecotrom-2 installation (model 150-300), with a capacity of about 300 pieces per hour, is equally beneficial for recycling lamps in major cities with a population of more than a million people, and for small cities with a processing volume of 200 thousand units per year (family business).
This installation is used in workshops for the production of direct fluorescent lamps for the purpose of recycling:
- blown glass tubes;
- phosphor;
- plinths;
- and other metal products.
90% is gas purification with a phosphor capture efficiency of 99.99% and mercury vapor capture efficiency of 99.9%.
The installation is small-sized, environmentally friendly and easy to operate. After purchase, it does not require installation or adjustment. With an annual recycling volume of up to 200 thousand lamps, all recycling and waste disposal operations are carried out by two workers.
Service staff
Planned staffing
Fluorescent lamp recycling technology
First, let's talk about processing technology. The technology for neutralizing spent lamps consists of stripping the phosphor from inner surface light bulbs that have been opened from the end and are at this moment under discharge.
The blown phosphor is captured by gas cleaning devices (cyclone and bag filter) and collected in special collectors installed underneath them. The mercury content in neutralized tubes is less than 2 mg/kg. With this installation option, the extracted phosphor is not treated with a chemical demercurizer.
But when using the installation in the usual neutralization mode, the captured phosphor is treated with a demercurization agent, which stabilizes mercury in sulfide form to a product of the fourth hazard class.
Organization services
Acceptance of used lamps and other mercury-containing waste will be carried out both from organizations and individuals. The processing price for organizations will average 14 rubles/piece. In the regions, the price of admission ranges from 6 to 80 rubles.
To generate additional income, the following services will be offered:
- Own transport for transporting waste, as well as loading and unloading it;
- Sale or rental of special containers (containers) for collecting, storing and transporting lamps;
- Demercurization of fluorescent lamp storage areas;
- Inspection of territories and premises for the possibility of mercury contamination;
- Visiting the customer to draw up contracts for the recycling of fluorescent lamps.
For whole and damaged lamps will be provided separate collection. To collect damaged units, special containers will be used that provide good tightness, thereby eliminating the possibility of environmental contamination. To collect undamaged lamps, containers will be used to ensure their safety during storage, unloading and transportation.
Marketing plan
The main clients of the enterprise will be organizations in the city of Dimitrovgrad and the Melekessky district. Travel to other areas of the Ulyanovsk region is also possible. The organization's personal transport will be used to transport waste. The structure of clients by industry is presented in the diagram:
As we see, the vast majority of clients will be industrial enterprises, since they use greatest number energy saving lamps.
In total, more than 110 industrial enterprises operate in the territory of Dimitrovgrad and Melekessky district, more than 30 enterprises Agriculture, more than 100 government and municipal institutions, more than 500 organizations in the trade and service sector, and more than 300 enterprises in other industries. It is expected that cooperation will be established with 70% of all enterprises in the processing of fluorescent lamps. Moreover, it is planned to establish work with enterprises in other areas, such as the Cherdaklinsky district, Staromainsky district, Novomalyklinsky district and Ulyanovsk. In this case, the number of clients increases several times.
On average, each customer will recycle about 150 medium-sized lamps per year. The price for one light bulb will be about 17 rubles/piece.
Activities to attract clients
The following methods will be used to attract additional clients:
- Active advertising in the media and the Internet;
- “cold calls” to enterprises in all fields of activity;
- "Word of mouth" good feedback clients;
- Participation in promotions, sponsorship programs, etc.
What documents are needed to operate a fluorescent lamp processing plant?
Centralized service agreements will be concluded with education, healthcare and housing and communal services authorities, in compliance with all sanitary and environmental requirements for packaging and transportation.
In addition, it is planned to install special containers on the territory of Dimitrovgrad for collecting fluorescent lamps from the population (individuals).
Customers will supply used lamps based on monthly and intra-week supply curves based on 20 years of observations from companies operating in the mercury-containing waste recycling industry. Using these curves, you can determine the required equipment productivity, employment and interchangeability of workers.
Production plan
Number of employees and wage are presented in the following table:
The total monthly wage fund is 54,000 rubles.
Enterprise expenses
The monthly expenses of the enterprise are as follows: Total monthly expenses will be 111,840 rubles.
Enterprise income
The company's income will consist of:
- Acceptance of fluorescent lamps from organizations, enterprises of all forms of ownership and individuals;
- Sales of materials obtained after processing fluorescent lamps.
If you process 1000 units (weight 200 kg), the following primary useful waste comes out, which can be used in further production:
- Glass (from deformed lamps) - 190 kg or glass flasks - 1000 pieces. When receiving used lamps per 1000 pieces, 30% are broken and 70% are intact, suitable for the manufacture of new lamps;
- Aluminum - 3 kg;
- Phosphor (mercury-containing mixture) - 4 kg;
- Other waste, no more than hazard class 4, which is disposed of in general procedure at city landfills - 3 kg.
How much can you earn by recycling fluorescent lamps?
It is expected that the plant will process about 11,000 units per month. Of these, 10,000 pieces will be supplied from legal entities and individual entrepreneurs (payable service) and about 1000 will be collected from individuals, including with the help of prefabricated containers installed throughout the city. total amount The enterprise's income is presented in the following table: Total monthly revenue of the enterprise will be 203,050 rubles per month.
Based on the data presented, it can be seen that the bulk of the revenue, which is 84%, will come from the reception of fluorescent lamps. And only the remaining 16% of revenue will come from the sale of recycled waste.
Company revenue structure:
Step-by-step plan for opening a fluorescent lamp processing plant
To start the project you need:
- Get land plot for the construction of a workshop at: Ulyanovsk region, Dimitrovgrad st. Car builders.
- Prepare a project for the construction of a workshop, a package of EIA documents, a draft maximum permissible limit for pollutants in atmospheric air, as well as develop passports for carcinogenic production and hazardous waste. It is planned to spend about 432 thousand rubles on these activities;
- Construct a workshop to house the equipment. It is planned to invest about 1.5 million rubles in the construction of the workshop;
- Purchase necessary equipment and a vehicle for transporting waste. For this it is planned to spend about 1,445,000 rubles;
- Select qualified personnel.
The list of main stages of the project implementation and the need for financial resources for their implementation are presented in the following table:
Which taxation system to choose for an enterprise
To optimize taxation, the organization plans to use a simplified taxation system at a rate of 6% of gross income. It is expected to provide monthly services in the amount of 214,000 rubles. The tax amount per month at a tax rate of 6% will be 12,840 rubles, per year 154,080 rubles.
A fairly large expense item for the organization will be the payment of insurance premiums for compulsory insurance workers. For five employees the following will be paid monthly:
Contribution to the Pension Fund of the Russian Federation 11,880 rubles (54,000 rubles × 22%)
Contribution to the FFOMS 2,754 rubles (54,000 rubles × 5.1%)
Contribution to the Social Insurance Fund 1,566 rubles (54,000 rubles × 2.9%)
Total insurance premiums for hired workers are 16,200 rubles per month, per year 194,400 rubles.
Classic lamps operating on the incandescent principle are being replaced by more modern fluorescent varieties. Energy-saving options use less electricity, so the cost of purchasing them pays off 3-6 months after purchase. Fluorescent lamps are convenient, compact, but have one significant drawback, due to which the burnt-out product cannot be thrown into a regular trash bin.
Dangerous filler
Energy-saving varieties operate on mercury vapor. Each lamp contains about 5 mg of a dangerous component, which can cause serious poisoning if the lighting device breaks and the substance gets into the air or open ground.Consumers should know that every energy-saving product purchased in a store comes with a warranty. If the lamp has lasted less than 6–12 months, it can be exchanged for a new one. The seller must present a receipt and a box with the production date. Has the lamp worked as expected and burned out? You will have to look for companies that dispose of such waste.
Why can't the lamp be thrown away with the rest of the trash? Fragile glass may break upon impact, and then mercury vapor will begin to seep into the ground and float in the air. People, including owners, who will walk near the house will have to breathe a dangerous substance. Mercury poisons the human body: the functioning of the digestive organs and respiratory system, kidneys and heart suffer. A few broken lamps are enough to end up in the hospital with serious intoxication. Children and animals are more sensitive to mercury fumes, for whom 1–2 mg of the substance is enough to become poisoned.
Where to contact
Energy-saving lighting fixtures should be placed in a separate garbage bag, or better yet, in a sealed package, and make sure they don’t break. With the waste, the apartment owner goes to the nearest REU or DEZ, which is obliged to accept the lamp free of charge and without objection. An alternative is the local housing office, which should contain special cardboard boxes for storing and transporting fluorescent devices. They are sorted by size and height, placed in separate cells, and then sent to factories that neutralize and recycle mercury waste.
If stubborn bureaucrats refuse to fulfill their direct responsibilities, they should be reminded of government decree number 949-RP, signed in May 2010. In accordance with the law on the transportation and disposal of waste lamps, individuals can donate energy-saving varieties to the REU for free, but, however, in small quantities.
What should companies and firms do?
Owners of enterprises and offices cannot use the services of remote control services. They must independently enter into an agreement with factories or companies that will pick up used lamps and take them to special places. You can find the address and contact details of the nearest collection point on the Greenpeace website, where you can also report poor quality work and improper disposal of mercury-containing lighting fixtures.
Companies working directly with the supplier may enter into a special agreement. For a fee, the company will pick up products that have expired or are burnt out.
If the glass bulb of an energy-saving lamp is damaged, pets should be kicked out of the room and children should be taken away. Close the door or curtains to prevent mercury from spreading throughout the house. Open the window for at least 20 minutes to ventilate dangerous fumes.
One person should work with the remains of the lamp. Wear rubber gloves and a gauze bandage; a damp cloth will do. Arm yourself with two pieces of cardboard: one instead of a scoop, the second to rake up glass shards. Leftovers broken lamp pour into an airtight container or jar of water and place in a trash bag.
Wipe the floors in the room with a solution of potassium permanganate or sprinkle with bleach. Take the remains of the energy-saving lamp to the emergency room. If there is no such organization nearby, you can call the Ministry of Emergency Situations and find out what to do with a broken fluorescent lamp.
Energy-saving devices are not as dangerous as thermometers, so there is no need to worry. Enough airing and washing the floor. If pieces of the lamp get on the carpet, it should be taken outside and knocked out from the underside. Leave for several hours or a day in the open air.
A broken glass flask should not be buried in the ground or thrown into garbage containers. It is also not recommended to store it at home. Residents of large cities may call special brigade, which will remove the remains of an energy-saving lamp, check the concentration of mercury in the air and determine whether the carpet or sofa next to which the fluorescent device crashed is dangerous for the apartment owners.
Features of recycling
Over the past few years, in megacities and large populated areas Special containers are installed near shops or factories. They are designed for recycling used batteries and energy-saving lamps. They usually have inscriptions or icons on them indicating the purpose of the container. Anyone can throw away a lamp completely free of charge.In small towns and villages, recycling of fluorescent lighting fixtures is carried out either by the people themselves or by volunteers. Sometimes neighbors can cooperate, collect a certain number of lamps and take them to the regional center.
Some office employees bring used energy-saving appliances to work and hand them over to the company. You should ask your electrician or management about this disposal option. The consciousness of citizens is sometimes not only approved, but also encouraged.
Disposing of fluorescent lamps is a complex and troublesome task, so most people prefer not to bother. But every lighting device discarded in accordance with the rules not only preserves the environment, but also protects the owner from an administrative fine.
Video: how to properly dispose of energy-saving light bulbs
Among household appliances, there are some that need to be disposed of according to special rules. These include mercury-containing lamps. The procedure must be performed correctly - this is a guarantee of safety. If the integrity of the device has been compromised, the lamps are disposed of immediately or temporarily left in a special room. They are subsequently transported and processed. You need to know where the device is sold. It is important for legal entities to draw up a document. The contract specifies a list of services provided, as well as their cost.
Why is recycling necessary?
Mercury is a very dangerous substance. Therefore, recycling of mercury-containing lamps is considered mandatory. The amount of this substance may vary. It all depends on the type of light bulb. Nowadays such devices are used due to their low energy consumption. If there are about 5 lamps in the house, then the danger posed by the fumes of the substance is very great. Before purchasing, you need to inquire where the light source is returned if damaged or at the end of its service life.
Storing used or damaged devices is dangerous due to the negative impact on humans. The consequences include various factors including headaches, fatigue and death. The device should not be disposed of with normal waste, since mercury enters the soil and then into the water.
Liability for improper storage
If the disposal of mercury or its temporary storage is carried out incorrectly, then the penalty for this will be administrative penalty. Its size is set based on the Code of Administrative Offenses:
- For legal entities - 100-250 thousand rubles.
- For individual entrepreneurs - 30-50 thousand.
- For officials- 10-30 thousand rubles.
Another punishment may also be used - a ban on the organization for 90 days. Further violations of the rules for the disposal of hazardous substances will result in criminal liability.
Principles of collection and accumulation
The rules for action in case of damage to the light bulb housing are prescribed in SanPin. Using these standards, specialized companies must correctly collect mercury-containing lamps. Supervises this work responsible person. For the collection, a room is used where outsiders cannot enter. You should not eat near such waste. It is important to comply with lighting standards. The room must be equipped with a high-quality ventilation system.
Storage and disposal of mercury-containing lamps is carried out in special containers. There should be a supply of water (10 l) and manganese potassium in the room for dangerous situations. Containers are made from cardboard, plywood, chipboard and paper. Polyethylene bags are often used. It is advisable to hold no more than 30 lamps in 1 container. Containers must be labeled indicating the amount and type of waste.
How is the substance stored?
Mercury-containing work is carried out after their collection. Carry out this work specialized institutions. Containers must be sealed. Each type of lamp is placed in a separate waste group. Devices are sorted by size and shape. Free movement of devices in the container is prohibited. The SanPin rules state that a journal must be used for records. It records information about the movement of waste. The document has a responsible person.
Where is recycling done?
Before handing over lamps, you need to find out about the cost of services. Mercury disposal is carried out by specialized companies that must have a license for their activities. The price of services is usually stable - 15-20 rubles/unit. It is imperative to take into account what types of lamps are accepted.
If an organization is selected, then it is necessary to count the number of units. This directly affects the cost. You will also need to use transport services, which are also paid. mercury-containing products have different prices in each company. It is influenced by the amount of waste and the type of services provided.
How to remove a broken lamp?
If the lamp breaks, you must act quickly and carefully. First of all, don't panic. This can happen to anyone, the main thing is to eliminate the dangerous source in a timely manner. Secondly, it is necessary to ensure ventilation of the room, turn off the devices, and preferably leave the room. To protect yourself from vapors, use a respirator or gauze bandage. Rubber gloves are also worn.
You need to collect the remains of the lamp, which should be placed in a high-quality bag, and then tie it. You can use a jar with a lid. Needs to be assembled carefully fine particles, then wipe the surface with a cloth and water and bleach. When disposal of mercury-containing lamps is completed, it is necessary to call the sanitary service. It will check the level of concentration of harmful vapors and also eliminate them. After professional treatment, the room will be safe.
Conventional incandescent lamps will soon completely leave our homes - this is no wonder, because they have been replaced by modern ones energy-saving lamps. Their use is much more profitable, since energy-saving lamps will help save electricity, but at the same time they provide more light and last much longer than conventional incandescent lamps. True, they still have one drawback - they are made from such materials and using such technologies that special conditions are required for their disposal, so it is better to hand them over to collection points for energy-saving lamps.
Today, many believe that energy-saving lamps are a real breakthrough. In fact, this is only partly true.
- Several types of lamps are considered “energy efficient” - each of them individually has its own indicators of efficiency and light output.
- The most “energy efficient” today are LEDs: they are the most profitable and durable, but, however, very expensive.
- “Energy-saving” lamps are called fluorescent lamps. Thanks to a more modern approach, they can be used in standard plinths.
- Fluorescent lamps consume much less electricity, which is why they are most often used in households.
- Fluorescent lamps are capable of producing “cold” light – white or daylight and “warm” light – yellow. The fact is that they can produce a stream of light of different color temperatures - ranging from 2700 Kelvin to 6500 Kelvin.
- Since 2009, the Russian Federation began to actively promote the spread of fluorescent, that is, energy-saving lamps. Since 2011, the production of lamps with a power of 100 watts or more has practically ceased, and since 2013 - with a power of 75 watts or more. Since last year, the production of 25-watt lamps has disappeared into oblivion.
- Energy-saving lamps provide softer and more stable light.
- The cost of energy-saving lamps is much higher than incandescent lamps, but the payback is many times greater, since the service life of energy-saving lamps is longer than that of incandescent lamps.
- It is not advisable to use energy-saving lamps in everyday life for people who have increased sensitivity to ultraviolet.
- Energy-saving lamps contain mercury; its vapor will be released into the atmosphere if the lamp is damaged.
- After their expiration date, energy-saving lamps should not be thrown into the trash with various household waste.
- Energy-saving lamps must be disposed of correctly.
How to recycle energy-saving lamps
There is mercury inside the fluorescent lamp bulb - this is extremely dangerous substance. Unfortunately, this fact is often ignored by both lighting equipment manufacturers and buyers who use energy saving light bulbs in their homes. Since the negligence of manufacturers is understandable - the desire to earn money, the recklessness of consumers is sometimes frightening: their carelessness can result in very serious consequences, both for human health and for the environment as a whole. Very rarely do people think that an ordinary lamp can cause a lot of trouble, but this is actually true!
Today, all organizations that use energy-saving lamps must have a concluded agreement with suppliers of lighting devices, according to which there is a clause on the delivery of these lamps back to production after their expiration date. The fact is that already used light bulbs must be handed over for recycling to enterprises.
Unfortunately, the disposal of energy-saving lamps remains on the conscience of consumers, since rarely does any organization or enterprise comply with these rules. In addition, there are special factories that process toxic waste, namely where the lamps should be sent, is not available in all cities.
Where to donate energy-saving lamps?
Unfortunately, there are often no centralized points where used lamps are accepted, even in megacities. But there are a number of special enterprises that transport and dispose of waste that contains mercury and various other toxic substances. Of course, the services of all these companies cost money, and often quite a lot, which is why people resort to their services industrial organizations. But we can all make our own contribution to the common cause - to protect the environment, you can take note of a few useful tips:
- Always sort your garbage! Never throw used energy-saving lamps into the trash. Always put them aside (as well as various electrical devices) - ideally in sealed bags, and then take them to a collection point for old batteries.
- Take responsibility! Take the initiative at the level of the entrance or the whole house: install special containers where all neighbors can put used energy-saving lamps. Once a month you will need to take the accumulated lamps to specialized collection points.
- If you do not know where the battery collection point is in your city, contact social media, large supermarkets, read local internet sites. Most often, the employees of these points communicate directly with recyclers - they can tell you what to do with the lamps.
- According to the law, all used energy-saving lamps, as well as their parts and fragments, are required to be accepted in all building maintenance directorates, as well as in repair and maintenance departments.
- IN service center The IKEA store definitely has a collection point for lamps.
- All waste from energy-saving lamps is sent to special plants - here the lamps are disassembled and the mercury is separated from the glass and base. The phosphor containing mercury is treated with chemicals, and then covered with cement and tightly closed in an airtight container.
- There is very little mercury in energy-saving lamps, but despite this, if there are a lot of lamps collected in one place, this threatens to pollute the atmosphere.
- By the way, previously Krypton-85 was used to produce energy-saving lamps, but it turned out to be even more dangerous than mercury, so it was replaced.
- According to recent developments, scientists propose using not mercury in energy-saving lamps, but its alloys or amalgam - thanks to this, mercury vapor will be contained. However, even such innovations will not eliminate the need for special disposal of all energy-saving lamps.
What if an energy-saving lamp breaks at home?
Remember that mercury requires very careful and careful attitude, like a broken energy-saving lamp.
If you accidentally break a lamp indoors, you need to:
- Open the windows for a quarter of an hour - the room should be very well ventilated.
- Wear disposable rubber gloves.
- Never touch the lamp with your bare hands!
- Remove splinters only with rubber gloves!
- Forget about a brush, broom and vacuum cleaner.
- Collect all the fragments with hard cardboard or hard paper.
- Place the fragments in an airtight container plastic bag.
- Carefully wipe the surface where the lamp broke with a damp paper or cloth towel.
- Place the towel in the same bag where you collected the fragments - do not think about washing it or using it in the future.
- Do not throw the fragments into trash can– take them to a battery collection point or special item for energy saving lamps.
Energy-saving lamps. Video
Incandescent light bulbs are gradually being replaced by other light sources with greater light output. This means that the required illumination in the room can be achieved with less energy consumption. One of the light sources that allows you to save energy are energy-saving lamps, which additionally have a number of advantages:
- presence of a standard base and similar dimensions allow them to be used in lighting fixtures, designed for incandescent lamps;
- the range of light shades (warm white, white, cool white or daylight) allows you to choose the most comfortable one for the consumer;
- the service life of high-quality lamps is much longer than the life of incandescent lamps;
- Their cost is much lower than similar LED ones.
To this it should be added that the government Russian Federation headed for use energy saving technologies. A complete transition to other light sources is impossible within a short time, so it was divided into several stages:
- The production of incandescent lamps with a power of 100 W and above has been prohibited since 2011;
- Incandescent lamps with a power of 75 W and above have been banned from production since 2013;
- In 2014, the production of 25 W incandescent lamps was completed.
Incandescent lamps inevitably burn out; they are supposed to be replaced with either energy-saving or LED ones. The latter are less accessible to most of the population due to their cost. Therefore, the number of compact fluorescent lamps in use is inevitably growing every year.
But not everything is so simple and rosy. New light sources also have disadvantages that are much more serious than the flaws of incandescent lamps, which we have to get rid of. Here are the main problems accompanying and:
- the price of the product is higher than that of an incandescent lamp;
- the desire of manufacturers to make products cheaper reduces their quality and service life;
- flickering (pulsations) of the light flux, affecting vision, especially strong in inexpensive specimens;
- the presence of harmonics in the consumed current, which deteriorate the quality of electricity and the operating mode of the electrical network when similar consumers are massively connected to it.
Why is there mercury in a fluorescent lamp?
Energy-saving light bulbs also have the most important drawback: they contain mercury or its amalgam, obtained by fusion with indium and bismuth.
When making any fluorescent lamp, air is pumped out of its bulb. Instead, inert gas is pumped in and mercury, which is a conductor, is added electric current. When voltage is applied between the electrodes located at the ends of the bulb, the gases in the lamp are ionized. Current flows through them. Ionized gases glow and emit ultraviolet radiation. To convert it into visible light, the inside of the bulb is coated with a thin layer of phosphor, the composition of which determines the light emitted by the lamp.
Energy-saving light bulbs are structurally different from conventional fluorescent light bulbs:
- complex shape of the flask, which allows reducing the geometric dimensions of the product;
- availability protective film, covering the inside of a layer of phosphor, transmitting ultraviolet and visible rays, and protecting it from “poisoning” by the components located inside;
- more complex control scheme.
Mercury - chemical element, harmful to human body. In liquid form it does not pose a threat, but even with room temperature The mercury begins to evaporate. Vapors may cause poisoning if inhaled. But the main danger is that mercury is a cumulative poison: it is difficult to remove from the body and accumulates there. He suffers from liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, nervous system.
An old-style fluorescent lamp contains about 30 mg of mercury. In energy-saving it is about 5 mg. This is about 100 times less than inside a medical thermometer. But, nevertheless, it is there, from which two important conclusions follow:
- fluorescent lamps must not be thrown away together with household waste;
- If a lamp in a household is damaged, the mercury must be collected, as is the case with a medical thermometer.
How to recycle energy-saving lamps
The bulb bulb is sealed, so the mercury inside it does not pose any danger to the environment. The problem is that the glass of the flask is very fragile. When disposed of together with household waste during loading, unloading, or moving a bulldozer around the landfill, it will inevitably break. The mercury will either evaporate and enter the atmosphere, or groundwater will end up in the nearest body of water. When interacting with microorganisms inhabiting the bottom of any body of water, a soluble organic compound mercury – methylmercury, more toxic than its constituent chemical element.
Light bulbs, like batteries, are recycled at special enterprises. Lamps are divided into components: glass, phosphor, mercury, base, electronics. Each of them has its own path; some of the materials can be reused after recycling. Toxic compounds are packed in a cement shell and buried.
The recycling process is not so simple and, as a result, expensive. This is probably why there are not so many enterprises in Russia where energy-saving lamps are sent for recycling. In European countries, this issue is approached with greater responsibility. Separate collection brings an undeniable benefit to this household waste, which is the norm for Europeans.
In our country, to this day, only one container is used to collect waste. Unfortunately, only a few understand what to do with waste that poses a danger to the environment. Every resident should know how to properly dispose of energy-saving light bulbs and where to take them.
An old lamp must be packed in a sealed plastic bag. You can find out where to deliver it in order to recycle energy-saving lamps via the Internet, for example, on the official website of the city in which you live. There are several places where you can definitely donate lamps:
- service departments of the IKEA store chain have containers where lamps are collected;
- DEZs (directorates for building maintenance) and REUs (repair and maintenance departments) of some cities are required to accept lamps for recycling;
- Industrial enterprises and organizations servicing electrical or lighting networks have connections with enterprises where energy-saving lamps can be recycled.
Wait until the process of collecting such waste is established state level, it can take a long time. Therefore, if you are not indifferent to the environment ecological situation, handle the recycling yourself. You can even organize collection points for mercury-containing products within your entrance or home, where your neighbors will bring them.
What to do if the lamp breaks
The procedure for dealing with damage to the lamp bulb is the same as for broken thermometer. It is important to carry out the cleaning as soon as possible, but be careful and approach the process carefully and scrupulously.
- Isolate the room with the broken object from other rooms;
- Do not clean with the whole family; this should be done by one person;
- Open the window to ventilate the room;
- Wear rubber gloves. If they are not there, protect your hands, at least from cuts from the usual ones used in construction work gloves;
- Do not use a vacuum cleaner, brush or broom for cleaning;
- Place large parts and fragments in a tight plastic bag, preferably having a clasp. Carefully collect small fragments using cardboard or a sheet of hard paper and pack them in the same bag;
- Wipe the area where the lamp broke with a soft towel or cloth soaked in water. Pack gloves and cleaning products in the same place as the fragments;
- If possible, treat this area with a solution of potassium permanganate;
- Ventilate the room well or do it periodically throughout the day if the ambient temperature does not allow leaving the window open for a long time;
- Send the package with the collected contents for recycling to the same place where light bulbs are sent;
Loading...
