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Spain welcomes forthcoming non-LED halogen bulb ban in EU
27/08/2018
HALOGEN lightbulbs' days are numbered in the European Union – from September 1, they may no longer be manufactured or sold and only LED bulbs will be found in the shops.
Spanish environmental campaigners Ecologists in Action has welcomed the move, calling it 'great news', but says it is only a small step towards cutting power pollution.
Head of energy Javier Andaluz says lightbulbs are only a 'minor part' of household energy consumption and that other elements, such as large electrical appliances, are 'much more polluting'.
“If you pick up a total household electricity bill, you'll see that the washing machine or the heating causes more pollution than a lightbulb,” Andaluz argues.
He advocates renewable sources such as solar panels for each and every house to 'reduce energy impact and climate change'.
Xavier Perpiña, based at the Barcelona Microelectronics Institute and a member of Spain's High Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) says the main benefits from the EU's ban on halogen bulbs are in life-span and consumption.
Although LED and halogen bulbs are not very different to each other in the way they work, the material used is not the same – LED bulbs have a halogen gas inside, typically bromide or iodine, which means they need far less electricity to function.
And they last longer than non-LED bulbs, making them more economical long-term even though they have historically cost more.
But Perpiña warns that any type of bulb creates waste when it is no longer in use.
It is largely for this reason, Perpiña says, that the EU has banned halogen bulbs, since they have a shorter lifespan and clog up landfill sites much more quickly.
The cost of recycling even LED bulbs can never be completely clawed back, even though they are more expensive to buy, Perpiña says.
He assures that the bromide and iodine inside LED bulbs is not enough to cause damage to the environment if they are handled incorrectly or not treated properly when they become waste, and says the substance does not harm the ozone layer.
Retailers will be able to continue selling non-LED bulbs they have in stock, but will be unable to order any more.
Those due to be banned are classic halogen bulbs made from glass which emit light in several directions and come in E27 or E14 casings, plus non-directional light-emitting bulbs with G4 and GY6.35 casings.
According to research by LEDVANCE, however, one in two consumers in the EU is unaware of the upcoming non-LED lightbulb ban, and two-thirds are unaware of the consequences of the prohibition.
As many as a third of those interviewed still include halogen and other non-LED bulbs on their shopping lists.
The ban is likely to see a high number of LED alternatives appear on the market that replace the function of halogen bulbs, but which are more energy-efficient.
Related Topics
HALOGEN lightbulbs' days are numbered in the European Union – from September 1, they may no longer be manufactured or sold and only LED bulbs will be found in the shops.
Spanish environmental campaigners Ecologists in Action has welcomed the move, calling it 'great news', but says it is only a small step towards cutting power pollution.
Head of energy Javier Andaluz says lightbulbs are only a 'minor part' of household energy consumption and that other elements, such as large electrical appliances, are 'much more polluting'.
“If you pick up a total household electricity bill, you'll see that the washing machine or the heating causes more pollution than a lightbulb,” Andaluz argues.
He advocates renewable sources such as solar panels for each and every house to 'reduce energy impact and climate change'.
Xavier Perpiña, based at the Barcelona Microelectronics Institute and a member of Spain's High Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) says the main benefits from the EU's ban on halogen bulbs are in life-span and consumption.
Although LED and halogen bulbs are not very different to each other in the way they work, the material used is not the same – LED bulbs have a halogen gas inside, typically bromide or iodine, which means they need far less electricity to function.
And they last longer than non-LED bulbs, making them more economical long-term even though they have historically cost more.
But Perpiña warns that any type of bulb creates waste when it is no longer in use.
It is largely for this reason, Perpiña says, that the EU has banned halogen bulbs, since they have a shorter lifespan and clog up landfill sites much more quickly.
The cost of recycling even LED bulbs can never be completely clawed back, even though they are more expensive to buy, Perpiña says.
He assures that the bromide and iodine inside LED bulbs is not enough to cause damage to the environment if they are handled incorrectly or not treated properly when they become waste, and says the substance does not harm the ozone layer.
Retailers will be able to continue selling non-LED bulbs they have in stock, but will be unable to order any more.
Those due to be banned are classic halogen bulbs made from glass which emit light in several directions and come in E27 or E14 casings, plus non-directional light-emitting bulbs with G4 and GY6.35 casings.
According to research by LEDVANCE, however, one in two consumers in the EU is unaware of the upcoming non-LED lightbulb ban, and two-thirds are unaware of the consequences of the prohibition.
As many as a third of those interviewed still include halogen and other non-LED bulbs on their shopping lists.
The ban is likely to see a high number of LED alternatives appear on the market that replace the function of halogen bulbs, but which are more energy-efficient.
Related Topics
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