Ministry of IenW awards new AVV lamps to LightRec

Generally binding statement ensures efficient collection

On September 5, 2019, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW) again granted a General Binding Declaration (GTC) for the product category lamps to the LightRec Foundation. The new AVV is for a fixed period and expires on January 1, 2023. Its purpose is to charge the costs of collecting and recycling all lamps discarded in the Netherlands equally to producers and importers who put lamps on the Dutch market.

LightRec, a not-for-profit foundation, is commissioning the collection and recycling of lighting in the Netherlands on behalf of producers and importers. With the new GTC, the government ensures that all producers and importers of lighting contribute to the collection and recycling of discarded lamps, including mercury-containing fluorescent tubes and energy-saving bulbs. These contributions allow LightRec to continue working towards cost-efficient and sustainable collection and eventual processing. The AVV guarantees that the related costs are shared proportionally among all producers and importers.

According to Gied van Hoorn, director of LightRec, the new AVV is a guarantee for the intended circularity of energy-efficient light bulbs. "We have worked hard in recent years to create one of the best collection structures in Europe, with finely meshed national coverage in cooperation with all the major supermarket chains, many DIY stores, garden centers and other retail chains. This has involved and will continue to require major investments. And it is important that those costs are borne by all stakeholders together," Van Hoorn said.