Does disposing of LEDs require special precautions?

LED light fixtures and lights contain no hazardous chemicals and fully comply with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive, which limits the use of lead, mercury, and four other hazardous materials in electronics. In contrast with CFLs and incandescents, which can release dangerous chemical gasses when broken, broken LEDs pose no particular risk to the people around them. LEDs contain trace amount of a few different metals including copper, Pb, nickel and silver, but not enough to pose a serious threat on contact. We discourage our customers from disposing LEDs in the trash because of these trace amounts of metals, which can leak into the soil or groundwater if brought to a landfill.

Our LED lighting is made of recyclable components and in most cases can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way that avoids the landfill. You can bring your broken or worn out LEDs to a recycling center or electronics disposal center, along with your old cell phones and computers, where the components of your LEDs will be reused.

In any case, we expect that you will hardly ever have to throw out your LEDs. With a lifespan of 50,000 hours, it will not be time to dispose of your LED light fixtures for years to come. Figuring out how to safely dispose of them is not an immediate or constant problem like it is with conventional lighting.