The time has come to phase out the use of toxic materials, such as mercury and phosphorus, in order to protect human health and the environment from their harmful effects. In the European Union, the use of mercury in products has been phased out gradually since 2006, and it is restricted by the RoHS Directive and the Ecodesign Directive. By exemptions for the RoHS Directive, the European Commission has allowed the use of restricted substances, such as mercury, for certain applications, like T8 and T5 fluorescent tubes and also compact fluorescent lamps.
Under the RoHS Directive, in the course of 2023 the production and sale of new fluorescent lighting shall be prohibited within the European Union. From the first of September 2023, T5 and T8 fluorescent tubes will be phased out altogether also in UK.
T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps will be off the market starting from 24 August 2023. In fluorescent lighting the RoHS initiative targets mercury, a common and hazardous substance in linear fluorescent tubes and lamps. Ongoing use of fluorescent will not be illegal, but the sale of new general illumination tubes and lamps will be.
Today, T8 and T5 fluorescent tubes are easily replaced by energy-efficient and environmentally friendly LED light source. The fluorescent freeze-out could bring a revenue boon for LED vendors lasting several years.
The ban introduces the new Single Lighting Regulation 2019/2020 (SLR) and the Energy Label Regulation 2019/2015 (ELR) that covers efficiency and lighting quality of lighting. The SLR no longer distinguishes between lamps, modules and luminaires: instead, it refers only to light sources.
There are also bans in USA. The production and sale of incandescent light bulbs have officially been banned in the United States because of their low energy efficiency. As of August 1, you can no longer purchase incandescent light bulbs, nor are they being manufactured in the United States. This ban also applies to Halogen bulbs and it’s possible that by 2025, Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs (CFL) will also be phased out under the Biden administration’s new standards.2.8.2023 With the sale of incandescent lightbulbs effectively banned in the US, compact fluorescent lightbulbs, or CFLs, are next on the chopping block. From September 2023 a range of halogen, fluorescent and low-performing LED bulbs will be removed from sale. The White House is looking to phase out CFLs by 2025. But some states aren’t waiting that long.
Sources and links to more information:
https://lumenradio.com/stories/eu-ban-on-fluorescent-lighting-are-you-prepared/
T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps will be off the market starting from 24 August 2023.
https://valtavalo.fi/en/yritys/tiedotteet/fluorescent-tubes-to-be-phased-out-in-the-eu/
The amendments were published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 24 February 2022.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32022L0284&from=FI
https://www.projectnekton.com/en/information/eu-ban-on-fluorescent-lamps/
What is the EU directive for fluorescent lamps?
https://www.projectnekton.com/en/information/eu-ban-on-fluorescent-lamps/
Are fluorescent lights banned in September 2023?
https://www.sparksdirect.co.uk/blog/fluorescent-lamps-tubes-phased-out-september-2023
What light bulbs will be banned in 2023?
https://reviewed.usatoday.com/home-outdoors/features/incandescent-light-bulb-ban-2023-where-to-buy-alternatives
https://www.cnet.com/home/kitchen-and-household/are-compact-fluorescent-lightbulbs-being-banned/
https://www.cbsnews.com/essentials/best-light-bulbs-replace-incandescent-bulbs/
What are the lighting regulations for 2023?
https://professional-electrician.com/features/embrace-new-lighting-regulations-to-power-superior-user-experiences-lutron/
6 Comments
Raymond Smith says:
The ban on certain types of light bulbs and tubes in 2023 is a significant step towards a more sustainable future. it is encouraging to see governments and organizations taking action to reduce energy consumption and minimize environmental impact. While change can sometimes be challenging. It is important to embrace these transitions as opportunities to adopt more energy-efficient lighting solutions. LED technology, for example, not only consumes less energy but also offers a longer lifespan, ultimately saving both money and resources.
Additionally, this ban serves as a reminder of the importance of individual choices in conserving energy and reducing our carbon footprint. By making small changes in our lighting preferences, we can all contribute to a brighter and greener future.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why replace fluro with led, fluro is far nicer on the eyes
fluoro is about to be illegal
Why would you think that? A standard flourescent tube has about a 25% flicker modulation. Anyhing above 3 is bad and anything above 8 is directly unhealthy for you. LED tubes, assuming they’ve been built correctly, generally have less than 1%.
What’s harsher about it though? White LED is still fluorescent – they use blue light to drive phosphors, just like a mercury arc UV drives phosphor in fluoro.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flicker is clinically proven to be highly detremental to peoples health. And what light LEDs give, depends on which you buy.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This guy will make a fortune supplying people like us for our dim bulb testers! Of course only a dim bulb flat earther believes this is a crisis
Incandescent lightbulbs were being banned. He spent $1,700 to hoard thousands.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/09/18/man-buys-incandescent-lightbulbs-stockpile/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR3FFUq-rjiqdX-xgL7OqjwUofhecV6WH8ktj6SUToHwuslTatpQ6r7-eE8
Kevin Szmyd became obsessed with incandescent lightbulbs in the spring, a few months before new federal regulations effectively banned them in favor of more energy-efficient LEDs. Facing the prospect of losing access forever, he had a bright idea: He would stockpile as many lightbulbs as possible before the Aug. 1 cutoff.
He explained his mind-set at the time: “I’m panicked. I think that there’s a hard deadline, and I’ll never be able to buy them again,” he told The Washington Post. “I’m trying to get a lifetime collection before the ban.”
Szmyd, 25, spent about six weeks and roughly $1,700 hoarding more than 4,800 lightbulbs, a stockpile he estimates will last him some 75 years. Szmyd, waxing eloquent about light quality and current flows, talks about lightbulbs the way audiophiles insist that vinyl produces better sound than CDs or streaming services.
“It’s the gold standard at producing a sunlight-quality color, whereas LEDs … often they’re casting out more of a bluish-green light, which is just terrible,” he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“talks about lightbulbs the way audiophiles insist that vinyl produces better sound than CDs or streaming services.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kaikki loistelamput ovat nyt kiellettyjä – Näin vaihdat energiapihin ledilampun itse
Loistelamput kiellettiin elokuussa. Vaihdon energiapihiin led-lamppuun voi tehdä yleensä itse, ja vaihtamisen hyöty näkyy sähkölaskussa.
https://rakennusmaailma.fi/loistelamput-kiellettiin-nain-vaihdat-energiapihin-ledilampun-itse/