Broken fluorescent lamps pose serious threats to human and environmental health due to the mercury they contain. This product aims to limit the damage caused by their improper disposal.

Fluorescent lamps are far superior to any other source of artificial light in terms of high energy efficiency, quality of light, production cost, life span, and so on. A problem, though, is their use of mercury. The amount mercury gas released when one fluorescent lamp is broken is a fatal dose for a rabbit. The mercury from one fluorescent tube can pollute 30,000 litres of water beyond a safe level for drinking. The amount of mercury in a 40W linear fluorescent lamp averages about 25mg. Based on an annual consumption figure of 140,000,000 fluorescent lamps, this adds up to 3.5tonnes of mercury. This could be a major cause of environmental pollution if the entire amount is thrown away as general garbage and not treated properly. Also, the kinds of HID (high intensity discharge) lamps which are often used in street lamps have a very high mercury content, from 25mg to 200mg. We can therefore assume that much more mercury is in fact discharged.

Global discussion about the seriousness of mercury use is deepening. The UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) management society aims to reduce the sources of mercury discharge, and is instituting strong restrictions on the recycling and taking in of used mercury. The environmental problem is now not only a personal and regional problem, but also a global one. Environmental problems are invariably always connected to economic ones. The national policies of advanced countries pursue economic efficiency, but they also strive for coexistence between this economic efficiency and the environment. The 21st century is the age of the environment. We must strive to consistently advance the recycling industry and develop a recycling mindset in society. This product is designed to limit the environmental damage caused by improper disposal of fluorescent lamps. It will contribute to the economy of resources and the preservation of the environment through promotion of the recycling of used fluorescent lamps.