Rosslyn, VA, January 13, 2003 -- The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) announced today that members of its Lamp Section will initiate this year a nationwide program to label fluorescent and high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps that contain mercury, as well as their packaging. This harmonized national approach allows for the efficient and economic distribution of energy-efficient lighting.

While lamp manufacturers have reduced their use of mercury in energy-efficient lighting by two-thirds since 1990, they still use some mercury because it is an essential ingredient for most energy-efficient lamps. Both fluorescent and HID lamps are typically four to five times more energy efficient than incandescent lamps and the use of these mercury-containing lamps significantly reduces the total amount of energy used. This, in turn, reduces emissions of greenhouse gasses and toxic pollutants, including mercury and gases that form smog and acid rain.

The provision of proper disposal information on mercury-containing lamp packaging has been hampered by each state (and Canadian province) having greatly differing requirements. To overcome this problem and to provide users with current information about disposal laws, NEMA developed a website, www.lamprecycle.org, with links to disposal regulations in all states and a list of lamp recycling companies. This website came online in 2000, and is updated regularly.

The NEMA Lamp Section recently negotiated with representatives of the Connecticut legislature to include the address of a website containing lamp disposal information and a company-specific toll-free number on the packaging of the mercury-containing lamps as part of that state's recently enacted mercury legislation. The same principles have been accepted by the state of Vermont, together with the inclusion of the symbol "Hg" on each lamp to indicate that it contains mercury. "Hg" is the internationally recognized symbol for mercury, and its use will not conflict with any other requirements, nor does it require translation. The package label will explain that "Hg" means the product contains mercury.

The lamp package will include the following information:

"A harmonized national label is the only labeling approach that makes sense," said NEMA president Malcolm O'Hagan. "Lamp manufacturers make their products for national and international markets and do not control the distribution system. Disposal requirements vary greatly across local, state, and international boundaries, making anything other than a national label impractical."

The NEMA Lamp Section has developed a white paper discussing issues in more detail; it is available at http://www.nema.org/lampsehs/. Members of the NEMA lamp section include: EYE Lighting, GE Lighting, Light Sources Inc., OSRAM SYLVANIA, Panasonic Lighting, Philips Lighting, Ushio America, and Venture Lighting.