The Ministry of Environment has launched a program encouraging people to recycle or replace traditional light bulbs or fluorescent tubes with LED devices at participating stores to help promote energy saving and carbon reduction.
Resource Circulation Administration Secretary-General Liu Yi-kun (劉怡焜) last week said that people can recycle old light bulbs or fluorescent tubes at more than 600 stores across nine chains working with the ministry.
More than 90,000 tonnes, or 94 percent, of traditional light devices have been recycled since 2002, and the ministry would continue to collect the remaining 6 percent, Liu said.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
Traditional light bulbs or tubes can no longer be manufactured or imported as stipulated in the latest edition of the UN Minamata Convention on Mercury, he said.
Administration official Cheng An-li (鄭安利) said the program was launched to encourage people to recycle traditional light devices.
From Tuesday next week to Oct. 31, people who recycle traditional light bulbs or tubes or purchase LED lighting devices at participating stores can take advantage of special offers, such as discounts, rewards programs or prize draws, he said.
Participating chains include Kuang Nan Fashion Shop, Carrefour Taiwan, Zhen Yu Hardware Stores, B&Q and A-Mart, as well as four lighting manufacturers, Cheng said.
Compared with traditional light bulbs or tubes, LED lighting devices are more durable, save energy and reduce carbon, with four times the lifespan, lasting about 20,000 hours, he said.
They can reduce power consumption and carbon emissions by 30 percent, and can save NT$102 on annual electricity costs compared with their traditional counterpart, he said.
The ministry aims to recycle 1,100 tonnes of traditional lighting devices by the end of this year, meaning that about 11 million traditional light bulbs need to be replaced with LED light bulbs, he said.
That is equivalent to an annual reduction of 484 tonnes of waste, 110 kilotonnes of carbon emissions and 220 megawatt-hours of electricity, Cheng said.
Taiwan Lighting Fixture Export Association president Lee Shih-tsung (李世宗) said LED lighting has become the global mainstream, and the lighting industry supports the program to help promote environmental protection and sustainability.
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