About Mercury Recycling

1 PLANT1Mercury Recycling opened the UK's first Lamp Recycling Facility in 1996. What was then 'State of the Art' equipment was imported from Europe and the first customers began sending in their tubes and discharge lamps for recycling. The majority of these new customers were aware of the toxic effects of mercury, found in fluorescent tubes and most discharge lamps, and wanted the most environmentally friendly method of disposal. The purchase of a Superior Distiller, to recover the mercury from the spent lamps, was a key factor in pursuading potential clients that there was an alternative to the damaging landfill practice. In 2001 Mercury Recycling Group Plc became AIM Listed on the London Stock Exchange.

In 2005 Mercury Recycling recovered and returned to Industry approximately 3 metric tonnes of elemental mercury.

With the introduction of legislation such as The Landfill Directive and  The Hazardous Waste (England and Wales) Regulations 2005 many companies began to find that recycling of spent lamps and tubes was more cost effective; the 2007 WEEE Directive then made it a legal requirement. 

In anticipation of the new WEEE regulations Mercury Recycling officially opened their new 30,000 sq.ft. premises in Trafford Park, making it the largest dedicated Lamp Recycling Facility in the UK. With new British designed plant and equipment, the site has the capacity to recycle 40 million lamps per annum. To put this into perspective it is estimated some 100 million lamps are distributed in the UK annually.