We paved the way for affordable lamp recycling because we're passionate about recycling. Below you find some tidbits of information we've gathered along the way.
Lamp Recycling Facts
Fluorescent tubes, CFLs, HID, neon, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium and metal halide lamps are all considered to be universal hazardous waste, because they contain mercury and need to be processed at end-of-life
Once the mercury in lamps is released, it cannot be recovered
Around the world, there are billions of burnt-out fluorescent and other mercury-containing lamps in landfills
A large percentage (often over 50%) of a lamp will go to landfills even if it’s recycled in the right way
In Ontario, only 10-20% of mercury-containing lamps are sent to a mercury management facility
Paint Recycling Facts
By recycling paint you can save approximately 50 litres of water, which is normally used to produce about 4 litres of new paint
You can get fined if you dispose of paint in the trash in some provinces and US states
Approximately 80% of recycled paint will be used for producing new paint
Paint has an expiry date, which varies per manufacturer
Battery Recycling Facts
The chemicals in batteries degrade over time and won’t last forever because of battery life duration and usage
A battery can last for approximately 2 to 4 years or between 500 and 800 charge cycles
Batteries can be responsible for over 80% of all the toxic heavy metals found in a landfill
Lead-acid batteries are the oldest rechargeable batteries
When a battery is recycled it can produce the following products for reuse:
Paper
Plastic
Zinc
Manganese
Chromium
Cadmium
Mercury
Silver
Nickel
Lithium
Lead
Approximately 30% of the zinc today comes from recycled sources
Nickel-Cadmium batteries have been banned in the European Union for sale to the general public
Ballast Recycling Facts
Most ballasts are considered scrap metal
Ballasts produced after 1978 are considered to be PCB free
PCB Ballast Facts
PCB ballasts are considered hazardous waste in Ontario
PCB ballasts cannot be recycled
PCB ballasts usually have a yellow label (see picture)
PCBs last a very long time and ballasts containing PCBs are highly durable (ie: have a service life of up to 50 years)
If burned, PCBs can produce dioxins and furans (highly carcinogenic compounds)
PCBs are toxic to fish at very low levels
PCBs were widely used in Canada, but were never manufactured in Canada
Waste Electronics Facts
Approximately 20 to 50 million tons of old electronics are generated worldwide every year
Ontario has an electronics recycling rate of approximately 40%, but it is possible to recycle or reuse 90% of waste electronics
For every 1 million cell phones that are recycled, 35,274 lbs of copper, 772 lbs of silver, and 75 lbs of gold can be recovered
It takes 530 lbs of fossil fuel, 48 lbs of chemicals, and 1.5 tons of water to manufacture one computer and monitor
Electronic items that are considered to be hazardous include: Televisions and computer monitors that contain cathode ray tubes, LCD monitors & televisions, and plasma televisions
A typical 15-inch cathode ray tube may contain 1.5 pounds of lead
Toilet Recycling Facts
Over 7 million toilets go into landfills a year
For the average Canadian family, a high-efficiency toilet can save up to 20,000 litres of water a year
High-efficiency toilets use at least 60 percent less water per flush than toilets purchased before 1992
In terms of daily water use per capita, Canada is only surpassed in quantity by the United States
65% of all water consumption occurs in the bathroom
Scrap Metal Recycling Facts
Types of metals can be determined by using a simple magnet. The magnet sticks? Then it’s most likely iron or steel. The magnet doesn’t stick? Then it’s most likely a non-ferrous metal like stainless steel, copper, aluminum, brass or bronze
The price of scrap metal fluctuates every day, because of supply & demand and market conditions
Approximately 60% of energy usage is reduced if steel manufacturers use recycled steel to produce new steel in comparison to using no recycled steel at all
Approximately 88% of scrap steel in North America gets recycled
Steel is one of the most common recycled materials in the world
Oil Recycling Facts
One litre of used oil can contaminate 1 million litres of water
An estimated 380 million gallons of used oil are recycled each year
Recycling used oil takes only about one-third the energy of refining crude oil to lubricant quality
It takes 42 gallons of crude oil, but only one gallon of used oil, to produce 2.5 quarts of new, high-quality lubricating oil
Generators are the largest segment of the used oil industry
A standard used oil filter can contain up to 250 mL of used oil
Testimonials
"If your company is serious about recycling services you must contact Waste Diversion. Great service always prompt to help and super professional."
Sidnei, MaRS Discovery District
"This company was prompt, efficient and congenial in all aspects of doing business with them."
