Eco-friendly light bulbs made 'safer'

Dean Coleman. Photo / Alan Gibson

Energy-efficient light bulbs have come in for bad publicity recently with revelations that they contain dangerous liquid mercury and lead.

Some consumers have also been put off by the curly shape of the bulbs, and left wondering about recycling.

But as technology advances, so too does the variety of energy-efficient bulbs available - and their safety and environmental friendliness.

Mt Maunganui company Marexim has been selling energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs for several years that use a solid form of mercury, and is now moving into newer-generations of LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs that use no mercury or lead at all.

The company uses the slogan, "Switching to energy-efficient lighting doesn't have to be ugly", which managing director Dean Coleman says refers to the look of Marexim bulbs and their minimal impact on humans and the environment.

"If someone takes a bulb out of a packet and drops it on the floor, they won't be exposed to any mercury vapour," he said.

"There's also no lead in the glass, or in the solder components, and the [light] tubes are encapsulated inside safety glass."

Mercury is toxic and a US study has found exposure to the amounts in CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) can be dangerous to humans, particularly pregnant women.

Mercury can cause birth defects and contaminate surfaces it comes into contact with, leading to household and environmental pollution.

The mercury in Marexim's range of fluorescent bulbs is a solid amalgam and is used in smaller quantities than the liquid mercury found in many CFLs.

The outer shell of safety glass gives the bulbs the same appearance as traditional incandescent bulbs, and the company also provides a free postage box to allow every bulb to be returned to it for recycling.

The range of fluorescent bulbs retails for between $9 and $18, which is more expensive than many CFLs, but Mr Coleman said his company's bulbs cost more to manufacture and offered a safer, greener product.

The Government plans to ban incandescent light bulbs from late next year - a move it says will save the country $500 million by 2020.

New Zealand spends $660 million on electricity for lighting each year, generating 2.65 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

But the policy is coming under fire from some in the lighting industry, including Mr Coleman, who said the Electricity Commission was too focused on power savings at the expense of safe lighting.