For over ten years, IKEA has recognized the need to collect used light bulbs and batteries and provided a manual collection service for customers to return them.
To further increase recycling rates, the Light Bulb Reverse Vending Recycling Machines are sited in prominent positions for the Public to see the initiative in action to encourage recycling.
Low energy bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and we need to stop them going into people’s dustbins and landfill.
The recycler is guided through the simple process by an exciting touch screen menu, the user will receive a reward incentive voucher, automatically dispensed by the machine.
The touch screen enables the user to choose from a large selection of different rewards or donation to charity. (UNICEF, WWF, Save the Children and the Woodland Trust)
Fun facts about light bulb
- The first practical commercial light bulb was created by Thomas Edison in 1879.
- The filament used in Thomas Edison’s first practical commercial light bulb came from his observation of a bamboo fishing line while observing a total solar eclipse.
- The average lifetime of a household light bulb is around 1,000 hours.
- LED lights have a lifetime between 20,000 and 30,000 hours, and that is 20 times longer than an incandescent light bulb.
- The red LED was discovered in 1962 but the blue LED – vital in creating the white lights used in so much of today’s technology – was to elude scientists for another 30 years!
- Brazilian football legend Pele was named after light bulb pioneer Thomas Edison. The name Pele was actually a childhood nickname and his real name was Edson Arantes (his parents dropped the ‘i’).
- The world’s biggest blackout occurred in India in 2012, when a power grid broke down. About 620m people were left in the dark for days, sweltering due to the lack of air conditioning, whilst failed traffic lights led to chaos on the roads and hospitals had to rely on generators.
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