Upgrading your lighting means throwing away existing lamps. Finding the best way to do this can be difficult, as some lamps contain mercury, lead or other substances that are harmful to humans and the environment if released, writes Michelle Vandenberg from ANL Lighting.

Incandescent globes are being phased out completely, for their lack of energy efficiency and are being replaced by more efficient forms of lighting. These lamps don’t contain harmful substances, and so are safe to dispose of in your normal rubbish bin, but it is advised to wrap them in tissue or a bag to prevent glass breaks and injuries.

Halogen globes are a type of Incandescent light, with small halogen components added, and so are not made up of any hazardous materials. They are slowly being replaced by eco-friendly lighting options, such as CFLs and LEDs. They are safe to throw away in your everyday bin, wrapped in paper or a bag to prevent cuts from broken glass.

Sodium-vapour lamps are a type of High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamp that uses sodium to produce light. They consist of sodium, neon and argon, with some containing mercury. These lamps should be disposed of at special waste disposal locations to prevent any harmful chemicals being released.

Mercury-vapour lamps are also a type of HID lamp, vapourising mercury to produce light. As it contains a large amount of mercury, which is harmful to humans and the environment when released into the air, it is necessary to take them to a safe waste disposal centre.

Metal Halide lamps are another type of HID lamp, producing light by a gaseous mixture of vapourised mercury and metal halides. These lamps also need care when being discarded and need to be taken to special waste disposal locations.

Fluorescent lamps, such as PLC lamps, Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) and Fluorescent Tubes, are a type of mercury-vapour lamp that uses fluorescence to produce light. As fluorescent lamps contain mercury, they are classed as hazardous and need to be specially disposed of.

Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are the latest and most energy efficient lights available. Most LEDs do not contain any harmful substances and are fully recyclable, therefore can be thrown out in your recycling bin to help reduce landfill. However, some LEDs can contain harmful substances, but due to the durability of LEDs, these substances are contained and when recycled properly, wont leach into the atmosphere.

Correct disposal of your old lamps is important for health reasons, as well as environmental factors. Residential users can find their local safe disposal drop off locations, while businesses who need larger quantities thrown out can organise pick-up collection services.

Visit www.lamprecyclers.com.au to find out how to recycle in your area.