Improving Management of Lamp Waste in Chile and Peru Through Practical Training

Seventeen Peruvian and Chilean policymakers and technical experts attended a course on environmentally sound management of lamp waste from 21 – 25 November 2016 in Madrid. The course, organised by Ambilamp and UN Environment’s United for Efficiency-en.lighten initiative, gave participants tools to establish national schemes for the collection and recycling of spent lamps.

“Chile’s diverse geography makes it difficult for us to define collection and recycling targets and implement waste-management fees,” said Claudia Guerrero Alvarado from the Chilean Ministry of the Environment. She explained that Chile’s capacity to manage lamp waste is insufficient, and the framework is scattered.

The Chilean Ministry of Health regulates the management of hazardous waste, including mercury-containing light bulbs. In June 2016, a new legal framework on waste management, extended produced responsibility and promotion of recycling, managed by the Chilean Ministry of the Environment, came into force. Five product categories are included in the new law: batteries, electrical and electronic equipment including lamps, lubricating oils, packaging and tires.

“We are interested in understanding how Spain has implemented the obligations associated with the Spanish and European Union Directives and in evaluating what Chile can learn from that experience,” explained Claudia Guerrero Alvarado.

The training enriched her knowledge of how to implement the new law, in particular in the Chilean extreme geographic regions and islands. It also helps to raise public awareness about the importance of proper disposal of lamps. The training consists of eight modules. Participants get familiarised with, for example, legal frameworks and how to develop a plan of action and marketing campaigns.

Claudia Guerrero Alvarado looks forward to using the knowledge in Chile. “I will carefully review the training material and share it with all my colleagues in our Ministries,” she noted.

Ambilamp and UN Environment organised the training as part of the efficient lighting projects funded by the Global Environmental Facility in Peru and Chile. The course was originally developed for the UN Environment’s en.lighten initiative in 2013 and is now an integral part of the United for Efficiency-en.lighten initiative.

Ambilamp, a Spanish nonprofit association, has developed a system for the collection and processing of waste lamps and luminaires. Since its creation in 2005, Ambilamp has collected around 79 million units for recycling, representing more than, 11,000 tonnes of lamp waste, through more than 22,700 collection points distributed throughout Chile.