Purpose
Cypress, California (May 2026) — Ushio America, Inc. (“Ushio”) has established this Collection Plan to facilitate the responsible collection, transportation, and recycling of mercury-containing lamps sold by Ushio that have reached the end of their useful life. Ushio, a leader in the specialty lighting marketplace, and Veolia Environmental Services (“Veolia”), a leader in lamp and ballast recycling, have agreed to work together to offer lamp recycling solutions to all Ushio customers.
Ushio has long been committed to lamp and ballast recycling as a cornerstone of its environmental stewardship, recognizing the critical importance of protecting natural resources and minimizing hazardous waste. As sustainability and responsible end-of-life product management have become increasingly urgent priorities across industries, this partnership with Veolia represents a continued commitment to making recycling as accessible and straightforward as possible for customers navigating today’s stricter environmental regulations.
Over 700 million mercury-containing lamps enter end-of-life each year, but only about 25% are currently recycled. For more than fifty years, Ushio has been a leader in specialty lamp manufacturing. Today, with the help of Veolia, they will work to increase recycling through their existing customer base to protect the environment.
Program Overview
Ushio has partnered with Veolia, the largest lamp and ballast recycler in the United States, to provide customers with a convenient, fully compliant method for recycling spent mercury-containing lamps. This program is offered to all Ushio customers — including distributors, OEMs, commercial end users, and consumers — regardless of quantity generated.
The program is implemented through Veolia’s RecyclePak® mail-back system, which is accessible nationwide and does not require customers to arrange separate transportation contracts or negotiate individual recycling agreements.
Collection Method
Ushio’s end-of-life lamp collection program operates as a mail-back program through the RecyclePak® system. The program functions as follows:
- Kit Procurement
Customers purchase pre-labeled RecyclePak® recycling kits directly through Ushio’s website at ushio.veoliaes.com or by calling Veolia customer service at 1-888-669-9725. Kits are available in various sizes (boxes, drums, or pails) to accommodate both small and large quantities of spent lamps. - Packaging
Customers place spent mercury-containing lamps into the provided RecyclePak® containers. The containers have been independently tested and certified to comply with applicable sections of 49 CFR governing the safe transport of hazardous materials (Packaging Group III), including repetitive shock, vibration, free-fall drop, stacking, and water absorption testing. Where required by regulation, containers include appropriate poly liners and jurisdiction-compliant labeling. - Shipment
Once filled and sealed, the kits are returned to Veolia via the included prepaid shipping label. No additional freight arrangements are required by the customer. - Recycling
Returned kits are processed at one of Veolia’s fully permitted recycling facilities located across North America. Veolia has the capacity to process up to 250,000 lamps per day. All facilities are routinely audited and certified, and all documentation is verified to assure compliance with applicable federal and state regulations. - Certificate of Recycling
Upon completion of processing, Veolia issues a Certificate of Recycling to the customer, confirming that the waste was recycled in accordance with federal and state regulations. This documentation supports the customer’s compliance recordkeeping obligations.
Covered Products
This Collection Plan applies to mercury-containing lamps manufactured and sold by Ushio, including but not limited to:
- Mercury vapor lamps
- Metal halide lamps
- High-intensity discharge (HID) lamps
- Fluorescent lamps
- Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs)
- UV lamps
- Other specialty lamps containing mercury
Accessibility and Convenience
The RecyclePak® program is available to all Ushio customers nationwide. There are no minimum quantity requirements — the program accommodates both small-quantity generators and large commercial or industrial generators. Customers may place orders online or by telephone, making the program accessible to a broad range of users including businesses, institutions, and individual consumers.
Regulatory Compliance
The Collection Plan is designed to meet or exceed applicable requirements under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), the Universal Waste Rule (40 CFR Part 273), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), and applicable state universal waste and mercury management regulations. The RecyclePak® packaging meets Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements under 49 CFR for the transport of hazardous materials. Veolia’s recycling facilities operate under all required federal and state permits, and Veolia maintains appropriate general liability and pollution liability insurance coverage.
Customer Education and Awareness
Ushio promotes awareness of the lamp recycling program through its corporate website at www.ushio.com/support/lamp-ballast-recycling, where customers can access program information, purchase RecyclePak® kits, and obtain answers to frequently asked questions. Ushio also communicates the availability of this program to its distributor and OEM partners as part of its Environmental Sustainability Pledge, which includes a commitment to continuously reduce mercury levels in lamp products and promote responsible end-of-life management.
Program Administration and Contact Information
Questions regarding the lamp recycling program or RecyclePak® kits should be directed to:
Veolia Environmental Services – RecyclePak® Customer Service
Phone: 1-888-669-9725
Web: ushio.veoliaes.com
Questions regarding Ushio lamp products should be directed to:
Ushio America, Inc. – Customer Service Center
Phone: 1-800-838-7446
Web: www.ushio.com
About Ushio America
Ushio America, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of Specialty and General Illumination lighting solutions based in Cypress, California. Established in 1967 as a subsidiary of Ushio Inc. in Tokyo, Japan, Ushio now carries over 3,500 General Lighting and Specialty products. Ushio’s products are provided to a variety of industries such as general illumination, audio-visual, photographic, stage, studio and television, semiconductor, printed circuit, video projection, cinema, UV curing, germicidal, horticulture, graphic arts, flashlight, scientific, medical, dental, ophthalmic, infra-red heating, and many others. For further information, visit www.ushio.com.
This Collection Plan is maintained by Ushio America, Inc. and is intended to support compliance with applicable mercury product stewardship requirements across all jurisdictions in which Ushio sells mercury-containing lamps.