Recycling energy-saving bulbs – a ray of hope for the environment
The German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act states that LED modules, fluorescent tubes and energy-saving bulbs must not be thrown away with household waste, since they can contain gases, mercury or other pollutants. Since almost all of the bulbs’ components can be recycled, however, collecting and recycling these items separately offers huge ecological benefits.
An end-to-end service for take-back and pick-up

Interseroh offers convenient and effective take-back systems for any type of used bulb collected or generated as waste by your site. The principle couldn’t be easier. We provide you with collecting boxes for your various types of bulbs. You collect the used bulbs, and we pick up the containers when full directly from your site. We then introduce the old bulbs back into the resource cycle. Apart from the cost of the box, there are no further expenses for you.
We also issue you with a corresponding recycling certificate that documents your contribution to environmental protection. This service lets you score points with your customers – since they can simply return their bulbs during their next shop. Collection boxes are available in a range of appropriate sizes – from the warehouse to the salesroom.
Our expert for
Recycling energy-saving bulbs

Frank Kurrat
Head of Sales
Frequent questions of our customers
- Which light bulbs must be collected and recycled separately according to ElektroG?
- All types of fluorescent bulbs
- All types of energy-saving bulbs
- Bulbs from gas discharge lamps such as high-pressure sodium vapour lamps and metal halide lamps
- Low-pressure sodium vapour lamp bulbs
- LED bulbs
- Why can’t these light bulbs simply be disposed of in household waste?
Fluorescent tubes and energy-saving bulbs are classified as special waste due to the gases they contain. LEDs on the other hand contain no mercury or other poisonous substances and are classified as “normal” recyclable WEEE for the purposes of disposal law. Separate collection and recycling of these light bulbs makes ecological sense, since almost all of their components can be recovered/recycled.
- Which light bulbs can be disposed of in household waste?
Incandescent bulbs and halogen lamp bulbs can be disposed of in domestic waste. They are made of metal and glass and contain nothing that would pollute a landfill site.