Written question asked by Lord Stoddart of Swindon (Independent Labour), in the House of Lords. It was answered by Lord Rooker (Labour) on Monday, 28 January 2008.

Light Bulbs

Question: asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they have agreed with suppliers of energy-saving light bulbs that a warning should be displayed on packaging and the light bulbs themselves that they contain toxic substances, instructions for their safe disposal and advice as to how breakages should be safely dealt with.

Answer: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006 require that the producers of energy saving light bulbs—compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)—include on the item or packaging the crossed out wheelie bin symbol. This indicates that the item should not be disposed of in an ordinary household waste bin. The retailers of WEEE have an obligation to advise consumers on where they can safely dispose of them. There is no requirement within the WEEE regulations for advice on disposal to be included on packaging or on the item itself.

Secondary information