Introduction

To overcome the risks, we introduced in 1980 a range of crushers specifically designed to handle and reduce the volume of all types of waste lamps. These make the debris safer and easier to handle and more economical for disposal.

Today, as well as manufacturing and supplying machines, we offer an on-site crushing service (CompleteCrush) to accommodate the needs of smaller generators of lamps or those companies not in a position to have their own equipment. This service provides full traceability of waste in line with legislation and industry standards, such as ISO 14000.

Nowadays we are asked about recycling of waste lamps. We understand this interest as Balcan has a recycling policy itself within its factory, whenever feasible. However, having researched the possibility of recycling waste lamps we found no sound reason – either environmentally or economically – for doing so!

We believe it is not viable to transport vast quantities of whole lamps across the country when instead they can be crushed to less than 20% of their original volume and disposed of to more local appropriately licensed landfill sites in much smaller vehicles.

The strong ‘recycling movement’ appears determined to recycle at all costs. It is inferred legislation requires lamps to be disposed of in this way and soon lamp debris will be banned from landfill.

Because we disagree with these and other claims, we give as follows our findings about these matters. We believe there is nothing to be gained by using up fossil fuels and generating more greenhouse gases to retrieve material which is already plentifully available at much less cost. Such action does more harm than good.

Conclusion

We believe that present methods of ‘recycling’ waste lamps are expensive in both financial and environmental terms because they do not return sufficient (if any) material to original industries to achieve any savings in the use or production of environmentally sensitive materials.

We believe the recycling process uses excessive amounts of energy in the form of fossil fuels for collecting, transporting and ultimately processing lamps. In turn, these pollute the environment and contribute to global warming in the form of greenhouse gases produced.

We believe that because the recycling process of lamps does not remove all of the mercury content from debris, it only produces separated materials of very low commercial value and application. 

We have yet to see any official document promoting the ‘recycling’ of waste lamps which at the same time lists any true benefits or the real amount and cost of the energy used to operate such a process. Our own research indicates it is not financially viable to do so!

COSHH, Duty of Care and Health and Safety Legislation require managers to be more accountable for their work practices and those of their staff. Simply sending waste lamps for recycling does not replace good management. Our full traceability service ensures the necessary controls are in place. 

We therefore believe that crushing lamps on their site where they are generated and disposing of their reduced volume to appropriate landfill sites is more beneficial, efficient and economical than attempting to transport whole waste lamps to just one site where their components are expensively separated but have very little commercial or true reusable value.

LOHUIS LAMPCRUSHERS ...the safest way to dispose of unwanted lamps Features There are 3 models of our manually operated range of FSL Lamp Crushers and one of our electrically operated Low Loader model. All are robustly fabricated throughout in stainless steel. All should be used in conjunction with our SOAKUP Sack System when crushing mercury bearing lamps such as florescent tubes. This overcomes the need to discharge mercury bearing effluent from the crushing process into drains. We offer a collection and disposal service for these sacks. Manual Models These will accept all kinds and sizes of lamps of which we are aware. They are designed to for mounting against a wall – preferably outside or in a suitably ventilated inside location. This is particularly important for the safe dispersal of hydrogen which is generated when Low Pressure Sodium (SOX) lamps are crushed . These units crush lamps in batches of the equivalent six (Junior model), twenty (standard model) and thirty (maxi model) standard and thirty (maxi model) standard diameter fluorescent tubes in one loading. They are available in different heights so there is no need to buy a machine bigger than necessary. The two later models are fitted with stable like doors through which lamps are loaded. When handling small lamps, the bottom section can be kept closed to form a hopper into which more lamps can be loaded than would otherwise be possible if this facility was not available. Because mercury vaporises even in cold weather conditions and all lamps contain a variety of toxic powders, a water spray is employed during the crushing operation to dampen the dust and reduce the escape of harmful vapour. It is also used to neutralise sodium and overcome the fire and explosion risks of SOX lamps. All manual models feature a safety interlock to ensure operation cannot commence with the loading doors open. A unique adjustable breaking chamber ensures the minimum of effort is required to operate the machine. Also that nothing goes through unbroken nor is excessively crushed. It overcomes jamming and damage (whatever is put through) because it is so easily to release. It also facilitates cleaning! All models have a high standard of natural louvered ventilation at all levels of their casings and their lids. This combination allows the best possible venting and explosion relief for hydrogen and was recommended to us by the HSE (Health & Safety Executive). All crushers are supplied fitted with a stainless steel debris bin for use with Low Pressure Sodium (SOX) lamps and others that can ignite. During the crushing operation, it fills with water to the overflow level and ensures that all debris is totally immersed. The sodium is therefore neutralised under controlled conditions. It can also be used for other types of lamps where sites have their own special drainage systems for acceptance of the effluent. Operation All manual models are fitted with an adjustable breaking chamber that can be set according to the diameter of lamps to be crushed. In practice, the setting only needs to be changed for very small or large bulbous lamps. Once the crusher is loaded, all that is necessary is to close the door, disengage the safety interlock and turn on the appropriate water spray. The handle that oscillates the crushing roller is then pumped up and down for approximately thirty seconds. This will completely crush the load of lamps, whatever model of crusher is used! The debris and water fall by gravity into the container beneath (either the SOAKUP Sack or Debris Bin). This system of crushing ensures the minimum generation of dusts and unseen aerosols because of the comparatively slow moving action of the crushing mechanism, coupled with the water sprays to dampen dust. Electrically operated low loader model This model was designed to crush lamps on a continuous basis just as quickly as they could be fed into it. It stands independently on three legs which should be bolted firmly to the ground. It has an angled chute, hinged half way along its length which, when folded back on itself, makes this model more manageable. A special trolley can also be supplied allowing the unit to become portable and more manoeuvrable. Intended to accept lamps up to 115mm (4 ˝ in) diameter, the chute is long enough to totally encase lamps up to 8ft in length without requiring an extension. Lamps are fed at waist height (being safer and less tiring than overhead) through the loading gate up the chute from where they slip back into the crusher chamber. The position of this chamber ensures that it is impossible for hands or fingers to enter it. An extractor fan fitted with the latest carbon filters is mounted half way up the chute. This ensures that dust and vapours from the crushing action and from lamps that may burst in the chute itself are extracted away from both the loading gate and operator and safely dispersed. Switching on the electricity and water supply A number of interlocking safety switches not only ensure that the machine will not operate without a debris container being fitted in place underneath, but also decide which of the fine or course water sprays should be activated according to whether the debris bin for SOX lamps or the SOAKUP Sacks are used. A pressure switch also prevents the machine operating without an adequate water supply for the sprays. Safety Trials Trials carried out on both our manual and electrically operated crushers on behalf of the I.O.M (Institute of Occupational Medicine), who are based in Edinburgh, have confirmed the safety of these machines when used in the recommended way both in and out of doors. Similar trials carried out independently by clients, Newcastle University in 1996 and Northern Telecom in Toronto in 1989, have also confirmed these findings. The SOAKUP Sack System This was developed in 1990 to overcome the need to discharge mercury bearing effluent from the crushing process into drains. This practice had previously been acceptable to the Water Authorities but, under newly introduced EC legislation, was no longer allowed.  There is no simple and reliable system for neutralising or removing mercury from effluent or debris, whatever others may claim! We therefore developed the SOAKUP Sack System to retain the effluent in a pre-measured amount of absorbent media (SOAKUP) in a bright orange plastic sack designed to accept the lamp debris. Lamp crushers intended to use this system require to be fitted with a second finer spray using less water which can be absorbed by the SOAKUP media. Manually operated crushers require the operator to turn on the tap of the appropriate water spray. The electrically operated low loader incorporates special switches which will select automatically the spray according to which debris container is fitted. In use, when crushing fluorescent tubes or other mercury bearing lamps, the SOAKUP Sack is fitted to a specially designed stainless steel frame, this allows it to be slid easily on to the same flanges of all lamp crushers that would otherwise support the Debris Bin. The sacks are readily identifiable and clearly labelled as to their contents. Each will hold between 400 and 420ft of fluorescent tube debris or their equivalent volume of other types of lamps. When filled correctly, each weighs between 25 and 30 kilos. SOAKUP Sacks offer the additional advantage of being a simple way of storing debris until there is sufficient to warrant disposal. HMIP (Now part of the EA) told us in 1991 the SOAKUP Sack System fulfils all of their requirements in the elimination of contaminated effluent at source. They said that this technique goes further than any treatment technique (filtration) which would always leave a residual contamination of the effluent which would still require to be discharged and could well remain unacceptable. It meet exactly their requirements under BATNEEC (Best Available Technique).   ALSO SEE : Lampbank