Lightcycle

Lightcycle Retourlogistik und Service GmbH is a Munich-based non-profit organisation founded by German lighting manufacturers to operate a nationwide take-back system for used lamps and waste electrical equipment. Since 2006 it has organised the collection and proper recycling of spent LED and gas discharge lamps on behalf of the lighting industry, and it also provides services that help manufacturers and distributors comply with the German Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG). The company describes itself as Germany's leading take-back system for lighting and as the voice of the lighting industry in the circular economy. Over the past two decades it has taken back more than 500 million used lamps and luminaires in Germany, returning over 150,000 tonnes of materials to the material cycle. In addition to municipal recycling centres, Lightcycle operates a nationwide network of more than 4,500 additional collection points for both commercial and private end users. Lightcycle is authorised both as a commissioned third party and as a collective take-back system to accept end-of-life lamps and waste electrical equipment and to send them for proper recycling. Its full service covers all ElektroG obligations for manufacturers and retailers, from registration with the stiftung ear (the German waste electrical equipment register) and provision of insolvency-proof guarantees through to annual statistical reporting. Its wholly owned subsidiary Elektro-Altgeräte Garantie GmbH (EAG) provides a collective guarantee system for the registration of producers and importers with stiftung ear for all equipment categories. The take-back of used lamps differs substantially from that of other waste electrical equipment because disposal costs are high relative to manufacturing costs, mainly due to the very low product weight and large transport volumes. Against the background of a competition-law separation of logistics and recovery services, German lamp manufacturers were permitted to build a joint take-back system, allowing synergies in communication, collection and transport while conserving resources. Nationwide take-back is organised in eight logistics areas, with contracted logistics companies providing and collecting containers and transporting used lamps to recovery plants. Lightcycle also works to raise consumer awareness of the proper disposal of LED and energy-saving lamps, for example through a nationwide educational initiative with the rapper Eko Fresh under the motto "Sei helle, bring sie zur Sammelstelle" ("Be bright, bring them to the collection point"). It engages with authorities, associations and political decision-makers at state, federal and European level (through EucoLight) to promote practical legislation and fair competition.

Lightcycle Retourlogistik und Service GmbH was founded in 2006 by German lighting manufacturers as a non-profit organisation to organise the nationwide take-back of used lamps. Its creation followed the transposition of the European WEEE Directive into German law through the Electrical and Electronic Equipment Act (ElektroG), which came into force in 2006 and obliges manufacturers to take back and dispose of their end-of-life products. From the outset, Lightcycle operated as a collective take-back system for the lighting industry. Because the disposal costs for used lamps are high relative to manufacturing costs — mainly due to their very low weight and large transport volumes — and because competition law required a separation of logistics and recovery services, German lamp manufacturers were permitted to build a joint system. This allowed synergies in communication, collection and transport while conserving resources. Over more than 20 years of operation, Lightcycle has taken back over 500 million used lamps and luminaires in Germany and returned over 150,000 tonnes of materials to the material cycle. In 2017 alone it collected 7,347 tonnes of used lamps and sent them for proper recovery. By 2018 there were more than 8,500 drop-off points for used lamps in Germany, communicated via www.sammelstellensuche.de. In addition to municipal recycling centres, Lightcycle operates a nationwide network of more than 4,500 additional collection points for commercial and private end users. The company is authorised both as a commissioned third party and as a collective take-back system to accept end-of-life lamps and waste electrical equipment and to send them for proper recycling. Its full service covers all ElektroG obligations for manufacturers and retailers, from registration with the stiftung ear and provision of insolvency-proof guarantees through to annual statistical reporting. Its wholly owned subsidiary Elektro-Altgeräte Garantie GmbH (EAG) provides a collective guarantee system for the registration of producers and importers with stiftung ear for all equipment categories, and offers additional services such as registration, quantity notifications and data maintenance. Lightcycle also engages in consumer education. In cooperation with the rapper Eko Fresh, it launched a nationwide awareness initiative under the motto "Sei helle, bring sie zur Sammelstelle" ("Be bright, bring them to the collection point") to encourage proper disposal of LED and energy-saving lamps. The company maintains close contact with authorities, associations and political decision-makers and advocates for practical legislation and fair competition at national and European level, including through the EucoLight network.

• 2018

  Amendments to the ElektroG come into force; there are over 8,500 drop-off points for used lamps in Germany.

• 2017

  Lightcycle collects 7,347 tonnes of used lamps for proper recovery.

• 2006

  ElektroG transposes the WEEE Directive into German law; Lightcycle Retourlogistik und Service GmbH is founded by German lighting manufacturers.

• 2005

  European WEEE Directive enters into force on 13 August 2005.

Germany's leading take-back system for lighting and the voice of the lighting industry in the circular economy.

• Take-back system for used lamps

  Nationwide collection and recycling of LED and gas discharge lamps, including small quantities at municipal collection points, large quantities (from 50 pieces) at over 350 Lightcycle bulk collection points, and direct pickup for quantities from one tonne per year.

• ElektroG compliance services

  Full service for manufacturers and distributors covering registration with stiftung ear, provision of insolvency-proof guarantees, notification and information obligations, and annual statistical reporting.

• Elektro-Altgeräte Garantie GmbH (EAG)

  A wholly owned subsidiary offering a collective guarantee system for the registration of producers and importers with stiftung ear for all equipment categories, plus services such as registration, quantity notifications and data maintenance.

1. 1Lightcycle official websitelightcycle.de
2. 2Über unslightcycle.de
3. 3Mitglied werdenlightcycle.de
4. 4Die Evolution des Lichtslightcycle.de
5. 5Lightcycle – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
6. 6Lightcycle – Wikidatawikidata.org