Santee Cooper joins with Waste Management’s LampTracker and Hagemeyer to offer FREE lamp recycling

MONCKS CORNER, SC – April 13, 2011 – Santee Cooper today announced that it will partner with Waste Management’s LampTracker and Hagemeyer North America to offer free recycling of fluorescent lamps for area businesses, contractors and residents. 

Santee Cooper recently launched its commercial lighting rebate campaign, which encourages its business customers to adopt more energy-efficient technologies as part of its multiyear Reduce the Use South Carolina campaign. This energy-efficiency campaign aims to substantially reduce the use of electricity and improve energy efficiency among Santee Cooper’s 163,000 direct serve residential and commercial customers through rebates and new initiatives.

“The lighting campaign is part of our continued efforts to help our customers cut down on their energy consumption and save money,” said Juan Holmes, manager of conservation and energy efficiency of Santee Cooper. “We are already offering rebates to encourage more energy-efficient lighting, and now we are offering recycling of the less efficient lamps and residential CFL bulbs.”
Santee Cooper, Waste Management’s LampTracker and Hagemeyer North America, are urging area businesses, contractors and residents to be environmentally conscious corporate citizens when replacing their old lamps and recycle them rather than disposing of them improperly in dumpsters and area landfills.

Since compact fluorescent (CFL) and fluorescent lamps contain trace amounts of mercury, it is important to dispose of and recycle them differently than other waste. Also, almost all parts of a fluorescent bulb can be recycled and made into new products. In fact, at Waste Management’s LampTracker facility located in Williamston, S.C., more than 18 million bulbs from across the country were processed in 2010 and upwards of 30 million bulbs are expected to be processed in 2011.

To help facilitate this lamp recycling, the partners have organized a free recycling period beginning April 13, 2011, where residents, contractors and businesses will be able to bring their old lamps to be recycled at a designated drop-off site. There will be a tractor-trailer marked with a large “Recycle Here” banner located at the Hagemeyer Cambar facility, at 1525 U.S. Highway 501 in Myrtle Beach, for recycling of fluorescent tube lamps and CFLs. Lamps brought to this location will need to be sealed in LampTracker’s boxes with patented Mercury VaporLokTM seal to safely recycle these materials and reduce the risk of mercury exposure; boxes are available at the site, which will be open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hagemeyer’s staff will be on hand to assist if needed.

“We are very proud to support this important recycling effort and provide a convenient way for area businesses, trade allies and residents to recycle their old lamps and to educate them about how to do so in the future,” said Rick Cochrane, senior business director for Waste Management’s LampTracker.  “Energy-efficient fluorescent lamps can contribute to a cleaner environment, but they must be handled properly. Helping our customers rethink the way they manage waste, recovering valuable materials and resources while serving our communities are top priorities for Waste Management,” he added.

While there is no charge for recycling at the Hagemeyer Cambar site at this time, that free-use period will end once two trailers have been filled. The two trailers in total have capacity of about 80,000 bulbs. For more information about how to participate in this recycling effort call 843-626-3578. For information on fluorescent/CFL recycling programs in your area, call the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling at 1-800-768-7348. Find additional information on recycling at www.scdhec.gov or www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling.

Businesses participating in the light rebate program are expected to meet with a contractor first to help plan for the conversion to more efficient lighting and get detailed estimates for the high-efficiency upgrades, rebates, installation costs and projected energy savings. For example, T-12 fluorescents would be removed and replaced with high-efficiency T-8 ballasts and lamps.  Rebates equate to 25 cents per watt saved from installing lighting upgrades. Case studies suggest that savings of 20 percent to 40 percent or more of the energy used per year for indoor lighting can be achieved by installing the latest, sustainable lighting technology.

The comprehensive Reduce the Use energy-efficiency campaign includes some 40 initiatives to help achieve 209 million kilowatt-hour savings annually by 2020. Additional energy-efficient programs will be announced throughout this year. To learn more about energy saving tips and information on energy-efficient initiatives and rebates, visit www.reducetheuse.com.

Waste Management’s LampTracker offers environmentally friendly, safe, and simple recycling solutions for fluorescent lamps, dry cell batteries, lighting ballasts, mercury devices, computers, electronics, bottles, cans and paper. The prepaid program includes recycling containers, shipping both ways via UPS or FedEx ground, recycling of the wastes, and complete online documentation of every container ordered and recycled. You can even choose to auto-reorder so you’re never stuck with waste in your facility. Containers are available in a variety of sizes and shapes to fit different facilities and needs. For more information about Waste Management’s LampTracker, visit www.wmlamptracker.com.

Hagemeyer North America

Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, Hagemeyer North America is a distributor of products and services focusing on business-to-business markets in electrical materials, safety products, and industrial products.  Hagemeyer USA sites are conveniently located to serve local markets throughout the United States. Hagemeyer’s strength lies in the ability to serve local customers through the relationships forged by its associates. Its global reach allows Hagemeyer to provide global customers with custom-tailored solutions. As a subsidiary of Sonepar USA, part of the global Sonepar family, Hagemeyer USA works with Sonepar companies around the world to ensure superior service when and where customers need it. For more information visit: www.hagemeyerna.com. 

Santee Cooper

Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility, and the state’s largest power producer. The ultimate source of electricity for 2 million South Carolinians, Santee Cooper is dedicated to being the state’s leading resource for improving the quality of life for the people of South Carolina. For more information, visit www.santeecooper.com.