LED lights help the environment in four ways:
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Recycling - LED lights are made of 100% recyclable materials
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Longer Lifespan - LED lights last 20+ years (10-20 times longer than CFL or Halogen)
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Carbon Footprint - A long lifespan means fewer bulbs, less manufacturing and less shipping
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Energy Efficient - 18% less energy compared to CFL, 85% less energy compared to halogen
The Environment - Recycling LEDs
Incandescent bulbs are fast becoming obsolete. The common knowledge surrounding these older style bulbs was that they could not be recycled with ‘normal’ household waste. This was due to the harmful substances within the bulb. These considerations are also necessary when disposing of Halogen and CFL bulbs, but LED lights do not contain harmful materials. This means that LEDs may be recycled with household waste. However, many communities now have recycling programmes in place so as allow faster access to the valuable parts of a burned out LED light. The absence of these harmful substances (for example, Mercury) is one of the major reasons that environmentally conscientious consumers are turning to LED lights.
LED Lights - Longer Lifespan
The lifespan of LED lights is in excess of 10 to 20 times that of competitor bulbs such as CFL and Halogen. This means that LED lights do not need to be replaced as often as other lighting solutions. The longer lifespan reduces the impact of LED lights on the environment in several ways. First, the raw materials needed to produce the number of LED lights required each year is reduced, as consumers are replacing LED lights with a much lower frequency. Next, fewer bulbs require less packaging, less shipping, and less storage. This amounts to much lower overhead costs that could be harmful to the environment, such as the transport impact of fossil fuels.
LEDs - Energy Efficient
LED lights are greatly more energy efficient when compared to CFL and halogen bulbs. Let’s look at some examples. A 12W CFL bulb has the equivalent luminosity of a 6W LED light, making the LED light around 50% more energy efficient. A standard 50W halogen bulb has the equivalent luminosity of a 4.5W LED light, which is equal to an 80-90% reduction in energy use. In both cases, the LED light is the clear winner in energy efficient lighting.
Carbon Footprint - LED Lights
CFL and Halogen bulbs contain toxic materials. If not disposed of correctly, these materials could contaminate waste disposal facilities and landfill sites. Along with the greenhouse gas reductions associated with the lower costs of manufacturing, marketing, transporting and storing LED lights, there is much less impact on the environment when thrown away - ideally, each LED light should be recycled, but there is less environmental impact where a bulb is thrown out with household waste. Switching to LED bulbs can reduce the effects of greenhouse gas linked to light bulbs by over 50% each year.
Contact Us Today
For further information on how LED lights could benefit your home and the environment, speak to a member of our expert LED lighting team today. Call 0333 77 22 111 or visit the
LED Hut blog page for social media details. We look forward to hearing from you.
