Lighting Resources has now become one of the nation’s largest zero landfill recyclers of retail consumer return (Retail Return) merchandise.

What is Recycle Return?

What is Retail Return and why is it difficult to recycle for zero landfill? Retail Return encompasses an extremely diverse range of consumer products requiring manual sorting prior to processing. Even the simplest retail return items can be complex, for example a child’s bouncing ball that lights up often contains a primary lithium battery. Within one batch of returned products, items often contain circuit boards, batteries, power cords, small electric motors, and fluff from stuffed toys. Each byproduct must be shipped for processing at different types of recycling facilities.

How are Retail Returns Recycled for Zero Landfill?

Because of the diverse nature of the materials being recycled, items need to be carefully sorted and often disassembled prior to recycling. Batteries need to be removed and sent to facilities designed specifically for battery recycling. Circuit boards are removed and sent to electronic recycling facilities. Cords need lo be cut off and sent for stripping and copper recovery. Remaining materials including fluff (fur for toys, stuffing, cardboard bits, un-recyclable plastics etc.) are shredded and burned for energy recover. All items must be decommissioned to eliminate any possible downstream unauthorized resale.

Lighting Resources can accept many mercury-containing devices for processing. Some of the types of mercury waste we can accept for recycling include (but are not limited to) the following types. For specific questions, please email Lighting Resources.

• Medical Devices, Manometers and Thermometers
• Relays and Switches (Including Thermostats)
• Elemental Mercury
• Spill Kits
• Mercury Contaminated Articles

Careful packing of mercury waste for shipping is necessary to avoid breakage or spillage during shipment. Lighting Resources can provide packing containers and materials and shipping labels for your shipments. Our nationwide coverage accommodates weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly, bulk pickup schedules to handle your large-quantity recycling needs. To arrange for large quantity mercury waste recycling, contact Lighting Resources by email or call us at (805) 624-3050.

Lighting Resources can provide packing materials and shipping labels for your shipments. Our nationwide coverage accommodates weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and yearly, bulk pickup schedules to handle your large-quantity recycling needs. To arrange for large quantity e-scrap recycling from pallet loads to truck loads, contact Lighting Resources by email or call us at (805) 624-3050.

Lighting Resources’ recycling kit division EZ on The Earth provides a prepaid mailback program. The EZ on the Earth mercury devices recycling kit is designed for easy recycling of intact mercury devices with less than one pound per total mercury in the container.

Please call EZ on the Earth Customer Service at (855) EARTH-55 to arrange shipment of your mercury device recycling kits.

Please Note: Unfortunately, due to regulatory and logistics limitations, we are unable to offer our EZ on the Earth Recycling Kits to customers located in Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Puerto Rico.