LED (light emitting diode) lights are becoming increasingly popular, as they use less electricity and generally last longer than the traditional general service incandescent bulbs. They are especially being used for decorative and focused task lighting.

One concern with LED lights is in their handling and disposal. They currently are not classified as toxic or hazardous in most areas of the country, and the recommended disposal is regular landfills. We have communicated with several LED manufacturers who indicated that bulbs should be "recycled", rather than placed in landfills. However, no one has been able to tell us where or how to do so.

If you know of any actual LED "recycle" locations or methods we would be glad to hear about them...please email or call us.

A University of California study found that LED lights (or their related parts) contain toxic metals, and should be produced, used and disposed of carefully as hazardous waste.

Read about the study here.

Also...when shopping for LED lighting and fixtures you may find a packaging label similar to the following;

"This product contains chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, and/or other reproductive harm. Thoroughly wash hands after installing, handling, cleaning or otherwise touching this product".

This particular label was observed on LED packaging in South Carolina. The State of California has more stringent standards than the rest of the country concerning LED lighting. We encourage you to read the studies and articles available concerning the handling and disposal of LED lights, and make your own determination about their use. We would recommend that you attempt to recycle all LED lighting, rather than place it in garbage that goes to a landfill.

Lumen Maintenance is something to be aware of...

LED lumens decrease with usage, and are affected by heat. Regardless of the lumens output (even at zero) the unit continues to draw the same wattage. Read more about it here.

That 60W-equivalent LED: What you don’t know, and what no one will tell you…  click here

Osram Sylvania Recalls T8 LEDs *

Osram Sylvania and the U.S. Consumer Safety Commission announced a recall on almost 50,000 T8 LED lamps due to concerns about burns. According to the CPSC, the lamps can overheat and melt, posing a burn hazard. The company received 34 reports of overheating and melting. No injuries have been reported. About 43,600 of the units, made in South Korea, have been sold in the U.S., and an additional 8,700 in Canada through Osram Sylvania industrial and commercial distributors between Dec. 2014 and May 2015.

For more information, go to www.sylvania.com and click on the site map in the bottom righthand corner, then click on "Recall Safety Information".

* From the October 2015 issue of Electrical Wholesaling

Color Rendering Index (CRI)...

LED's most often emit a brighter white light (higher color temperature) and generally fall in a color rendering index(CRI) range of around 70-80, with natural light and incandescent at 100 CRI. Skin, paints. clothing and upholstery materials will appear different under LED lighting , so be sure to compare things under the same lighting that you have in your home or business.