> Lighting Ballast Recycling from EcoLights

EcoLights offers comprehensive recycling services for lighting ballasts.

All fluorescent lamps require a ballast or capacitor to operate properly. When recycling light fixtures, it is critically important to safely handle and dispose of the lighting ballasts to prevent injury and environmental contamination.

EcoLights can help. We’ll assess your ballast recycling needs and recommend a safe, cost-effective solution that protects your employees, your property, your reputation and the environment. Our services include:

• Proper labeling and manifesting for transportation of hazardous materials
• Pick-up and transportation to our Seattle recycling facility
• Safe recycling of lighting ballasts
• Chain of custody forms documenting final incineration of all PCB-bearing materials

About PCB and non-PCB Lighting Ballasts
Fluorescent lamp ballasts produced before 1979 used polychlorinated biphenyl ethers (PCB) as a liquid insulation medium. Scientists discovered that PCBs have the potential to bioaccumulate, which means that if they are consumed by bacteria and plankton, the PCBs will work their way up to the top of the food chain where they concentrate in the tissues of humans or other animals such as Orca whales. 

PCBs haves been designated as a toxic substance by the EPA, which tightly controls the disposal of any PCB-bearing materials.  In addition 30 states, including Washington and Oregon, ban or regulate the disposal of PCB ballasts in landfills.

The production of PCB-containing ballasts was discontinued after 1979. Despite this, there are still millions of ballasts in use that contain PCBs.

All ballasts manufactured after July 1, 1978 that do not contain PCBs are required to be clearly marked "No PCBs".  Between 1979 and 1990, ballasts were manufactured with another potentially hazardous material, DEHP, and should also be properly managed for disposal. Unlabeled ballasts or ballasts without a date code should be assumed to contain PCBs or DEHP and should be properly managed.

Links to more comprehensive information on hazardous waste regulation and the environment can be found on our Useful Links page.