Ratiboř

In the past, it was easy, the classic tungsten bulb was simply thrown in the municipal waste bin and a new one was brought from the shop. However, since September 2012, classic tungsten bulbs have stopped being sold in the European Union, and so in recent years we have gradually switched to more economically and environmentally friendly light sources. Depending on the room and our preferences, we choose compact and linear fluorescent or LED bulbs. We choose different light intensities and light character - the choice of modern light sources is really varied. But there is one catch: if the energy-saving lamp or LED bulb gets enough light, it must not end up in the regular trash or in the sorting glass.

This is because of the secondary raw materials that can be reused through recycling and also because of the toxic mercury that fluorescent lamps (both tubular and compact) contain in small quantities. Mercury can endanger human health and the environment if handled incorrectly or inappropriately and in higher concentrations. The easiest way to avoid this is to take your old fluorescent lamp or LED and drop it off at the store when you buy a new one.

Another way to properly dispose of a non-functioning light source is to take it to the collection yard in Ratboř in the local area of Červené No. 77. The operator of the collection yard will take it from you free of charge and place it in a special collection container to prevent it from breaking. The take-back of lamps and other electrical equipment for our municipality is provided by the collective system EKOLAMP, which not only contributes to the costs of operating the collection point, but also fully covers all transport and recycling costs. Thanks to EKOLAMP, we will save the municipal budget some of the money that we would otherwise have to use for the ecological disposal of hazardous waste.

The minor inconvenience associated with the proper disposal of energy-saving fluorescent lamps will be compensated by lower electricity consumption and the knowledge that together we are contributing to the protection of the environment around us.

You can find out more about the disposal of non-functioning light sources and other EKOLAMP activities at www.ekolamp.cz.