Why is it so difficult to recycle LEDs ?

The structure of LED is stronger than traditional lamps. Early LEDs contain much higher levels of aluminium which was required to control heat dissipation. During our developemnt of the Balcan LED1000 we have been surprised just how strong these lamps & bulbs are. What was supposed to be a straightforward design has become a far superior machine, not only capable of recycling LEDs, but also other types of waste, including electronics.

A traditional tube or lamp consists of a thin metal / plastic cap and glass. They rely on mercury in the phosphor powder to produce the various white colour we see. Due to the mercury content, they are classed as hazardous and have to be recycled with a system that uses special activated carbon to remove mercury from the vapour. 

The problem for any lamp recycler is LED’s come mixed with other lamps. Whilst this mix can be put through a Balcan Lamp Recycling System without causing damage, they may cause a lot of damage to lamp recycling machines from other manufacturers due to the LED structure.

As the number of LED lamps in the waste stream is rapidly increasing it is becoming necessary to look for a specific recycling solutions to recycle these lamps. For a dedicated LED & electronics recycling machine, the Balcan LED1000 lamp recycler is the answer.

Usually, lamp recycling companies only process lamps, as opposed to general or other electronic waste. This means without a recycling system for LED and electronics, the only options are to send them out to another lamp recycler who has suitable equipment (at a cost) or to invest in equipment, specifically the Balcan LED1000.

The valuable commodity in LEDs is the aluminium, with the earlier generations of LED having much higher levels. In addition there is a ferrous and non-ferrous fraction; separating these into their individual streams provides the greatest return on investment. By investing in their own LED and electronic recycling system, companies can directly recover costs from high value fractions.