How should LED lamps be disposed of correctly?

Recycling: What Happens to LED Products?

During the recycling process, LED lamps are dismantled into their material components. Typical components include:

• Electronic assemblies (LED modules, drivers, printed circuit boards)
• Optical elements made from engineered plastics
• Heat sinks, for example aluminium (GLT LED TUBE)
• Glass and metal components

LEDs contain metals such as indium and gallium, along with other technically relevant raw materials. While these materials are in principle recyclable, their recovery is technically demanding.

The actual recycling rate depends largely on product design, material purity and ease of disassembly.

In practical terms: High-quality LED lamps with a material-separable design can achieve recycling rates of up to 90% – significantly higher than many integrated all-in-one systems.

Practical Implementation in Companies

Companies, municipalities and operators face increased organisational requirements. As volumes increase, so do responsibility and documentation obligations.

• Establishment of central collection points for WEEE
• Transfer to certified specialist waste management companies
• Labelling, documentation and verification obligations, for example within ISO management systems

What do private consumers need to consider?

For end users, disposal is organised with low barriers:

• Establishment of central collection points for waste electrical equipment within the company.
• Handover to certified waste management service providers on site.
• Use of take-back systems such as Lightcycle.

Tip: LightcycleLightcycle– collection points and take-back systems for lamps and luminaires

The company Lightcyclecompany Lightcycle coordinates the return of end-of-life lamps and waste electrical equipment in Germany for manufacturers, end users and businesses.

In addition to municipal recycling centres, it provides a nationwide network of over 4,500 collection points4,500 collection points for both commercial and private users, enabling easy return of used lamps:

• Organisation of retail-based collection points for private consumers
• Coordination with municipal recycling centres
• Support for manufacturers and companies with commercial take-back solutions

ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation)

Adopted in 2024, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) significantly tightens EU requirements regarding sustainability, product lifetime and repairability.

The ESPR replaces the Ecodesign Directive 2019/2020 and expands its scope to cover nearly all product categories placed on the EU market. The regulation aims to improve the environmental sustainability of products throughout their entire life cycle – including LED lamps.

A key element of the ESPR is the introduction of the Digital Product Passport (DPP). In future, this will accompany products digitally and provide essential sustainability information, such as material composition, carbon footprint and traceability.

Repairability pitfalls: lamp or complete luminaire?

With regard to the repairability of LED lighting, there is a clear distinction between:

• replaceable LED lamps in standardised luminaires (retrofit systems).
• complete LED luminaires with permanently integrated LED modules.

The choice between these systems has a direct impact on the sustainability performance of your lighting.

In integrated systems or luminaires with permanently installed LED modules, the failure of individual components often results in the replacement of the entire luminaire.

By contrast, lighting systems based on standardised, replaceable LED retrofit lamps allow for selective replacement or repair of the light source while the luminaire itself remains in use.