Impact of LED Lighting Technology on the Environment

With a myriad of benefits, LED lights have recently emerged as the most preferred lighting solution for both residential and commercial setting. Moreover, they are environmental friendly when compared to incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). As a result, the manufacture and use of LED light cause less damage to the environment than the other two alternatives.

So, here’s we take a brief look into the impact of LED lights on the environment. 

Mercury Emissions – Unlike the CFL’s, LED lights do not result in mercury emissions. Mercury is poisonous and even the small amounts are a concern for landfills and waste incinerators. Mercury from lamps also cause air and water pollution. In many countries, the usage of mercury is capped in CFL’s. In the European countries, the same cap is required by the RoHS law. However, you do not have to deal with this kind of toxic emission if you use LED lights as there’s no mercury in it. As a result, they do not cause any health concerns.

Safe Disposal – Considering the health and environmental concerns about mercury have prompted many countries to properly dispose or recycle the lamps rather than disposing it in the general waste stream, which are sent to landfills. So, in many countries there are proper disposal schemes for lights. In India, however, the retail price includes an amount to pay for recycling, and manufacturers and importers have an obligation to collect and recycle CFLs. They are required to store the bulbs unbroken until they can be processed.

However, the LED lights completely outshine the rest and have a positive impact on our environment.

•  Fully Recyclable – LED lights, being completely non-toxic can be easily disposed of in the normal recycling centres without any special considerations for hazardous materials.
• Safe – Since no glass is used in the manufacturing of LED lights, there’s no risk of getting the glass shattered and neither it poses any health risk. This certainly makes it a relatively safer alternative to the conventional alternatives to use in the residential, commercial and industrial settings.
• Risk Assessment – From the point of risk assessment, LED lights are simply great. As they required zero maintenance during their lifespan, no one will be required to climb up and down ladders to fix the problems like low voltage and others. It also eliminates the chance of electrocution.
• Heat – LED lights give off minimal amount of heat compared to standard lighting. It results it cost reduction and carbon footprint in your place.

Roughly, LED lighting solutions can effortlessly reduce the greenhouse gas emissions by almost half a ton, which certainly leaves a positive impact on the environment. As mentioned earlier, the biggest difference between the LED lights and incandescent bulbs is that the former do not contain hazardous mercury, while CFLs do. As a result, with respect to disposal, the negative impact of CFLs on the environment exceeds more than that of CFLs.

Summary: The environmental impact of LED lights is undoubtedly positive. Read this blog to know their environmental benefits.