A member of staff shows Philips’ Super Lifemax Super 80, an environmentally friendly product with a low mercury dose of only three milligrams.

The move follows the company's strategy of promoting a replacement market to substitute for sales to new residential projects and individual consumers, which have declined significantly because of current economic conditions.

Philips Lighting Division general manager Thanakorn Wongwises said the company realised a social responsibility to provide a solution for management of discarded fluorescent lamps.

"There are millions of used fluorescent lamps in Thailand every year, and most of them need to be treated for the sake of the environment," said Thanakorn, adding that the Philips End of Life programme would comply with conditions set by Industrial Works Department and ISO14001 quality standards relating to certified environmental-management systems. This obliges large business corporations, business owners, building owners and industrial factories to provide management solutions for discarded fluorescent lamps.

Under the Philips End of Life programme, participants need not pay for either collection of discarded fluorescent lamps or the cost of recycling. There is also no minimum number of recycled lamps per collection, provided the participant purchases Philips green lighting products to replace them.

All discarded lamps will be recycled at the company's lighting plant in Samut Prakan's Bang Pu Industrial Estate.

Thanakorn said fluorescent lamps should not be discarded in general garbage bins, because they contain the heavy metal mercury - a potent poison - and if broken can release it into the environment. Effects of ingested mercury in humans include disruption of the nervous system, headaches, exhaustion, stupefaction and hallucinations. If it finds its way into water, mercury can accumulate in fish and aquatic vegetables, with a risk of it being ingested by humans later.

"Our Philips End of Life programme separates hazardous and non-hazardous materials. Non-hazardous materials will be recycled for future use and hazardous materials disposed of efficiently, so as to reduce their release into the environment," Thanakorn said.

A 2004 research study conducted by the Japanese government and the Japan External Trade Organisation said about 41 million fluorescent lamps were discarded in Thailand every year. Seventy per cent of these are straight fluorescent lamps.

The study estimated that the largest users of fluorescent lamps - large business organisations, business offices and building owners - each discarded about 300 a year. Industrial factories discard about 100 a year and ordinary households about three a year.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn

The Nation