Although the 800-pound gorilla of retail undoubtedly used its muscle to help move these manufacturers along, it is unlikely that these new, lower mercury CFLs will only be available from Wal-Mart (though they may show up there sooner than in other locations).

Some manufacturers are announcing reductions as much as 50%-60% below current limits for CFLs. Individual manufacturers highlights from the announcement include:

• GE Consumer & Industrial will reduce CFL mercury content up to 50 percent from NEMA levels in new products, while maintaining the excellent light quality and long life that GE customers expect.

• Philips currently supplies Wal-Mart with CFLs that have mercury contents 40 to 60 percent below the NEMA level of 5 mg per unit (for CFLs less than 25W). Philips utilizes pellet dosing versus liquid mercury to ensure safe and accurate levels of mercury per bulb, and continues to look for ways to reduce the amount of mercury in its CFL, while still maintaining the lamps' high quality and performance characteristics.

• OSRAM SYLVANIA CFLs currently meet the NEMA standard of 5 mg of mercury, with reflector lamps that are 40 percent lower at 3 mg. Sylvania has committed to reducing the mercury content in all of its CFLs to 4 mg or less by the end of 2007, and to 2.5 mg by the end of 2008.

• Lights of America will reduce the amount of mercury in its CFLs by up to 50 percent. Wal-Mart's new standards have resulted in Lights of America identifying a different metal alloy technology that improves bulb performance while requiring less mercury per bulb. This technology is currently being added to Lights of America CFLs and the company expects all of its bulbs to have no more than 2 mg of mercury by the end of 2007.

The next step we look for is for major retailers such as Wal-Mart who are selling these bulbs to begin offering recycling/take-back programs to collect CFLs that have reached the end of their working life for safe disposal.

Thanks Sustainablogger

Link: PR Newswire

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