Take Back The Light

Take Back the Light is Canada’s leading light recycling program for businesses and institutions, and provides a simple low-cost opportunity to have fluorescent lamps and light fixtures to be recycled responsibly.The program works with both buyers and sellers of fluorescent lamps of any kind to recover and properly recycle lights to the highest environmental standards. Ninety-eight per cent of each light collected is diverted from disposal with component parts reused wherever possible.For buyers of lights, there is no cost to join Take Back the Light and every light is verified and validated for recovery, recycling performance, and compliance through a third-party audit using internationally approved standards.For sellers, Take Back the Light offers tracked and verified light recycling service as a value-add for current and future customers. There is a modest registration fee, and collection services must be arranged.

Recycling

Every spent lamp collected through Take Back the Light is processed at an approved facility that must meet stringent recycling and safety standards.The seller/supplier arranges pick-up of spent lights from its buyers and is responsible for the safe transport to an approved processing facility. Take Back the Light endorses the Supplier Responsible model because it utilizes existing distribution channels to reduce unnecessary transportation, and demonstrates responsible end-of-life management of products.Once a minimum number of spent lights are collected, a participant completes a Request for Service form. The processor schedules pick-up and arranges transport, and spent lights are sent to the processing facility. Transport costs vary, and depend on amount of lights and distance travelled.