| Mercury in Lighting a Key Focus at the Minimata Convention
 Since CFLs contain mercury, an integrated policy approach must be adopted that maximizes energy efficiency and lamp life; minimizes toxicity at the design and manufacturing stages; and addresses the sustainable management of spent lamps. This is consistent with the Minamata Convention on Mercury that was recently adopted at the Diplomatic Conference in Kumamoto, Japan, as well as the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.
At the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership side event, en.lighten Project Manager, Gustavo Mañez, encouraged countries to adopt standards to gradually reduce and limit the amount of hazardous substances, such as mercury. The target of the Minamata Convention is for the reduction of mercury in lamps by 2020 but en.lighten recommends that policy makers not wait and to establish regulations that limit the content of mercury and other hazardous substances in lamps.
Annex 1 of the Minamata Convention sets limits for mercury-added products however; some countries are aiming for progressively lower levels of mercury in energy-saving lamps.
Collection and recycling systems coupled with technologies that capture and securely contain mercury can be effective for mercury-added lamps. The recovery of mercury and recycling of other lamp components is manageable and affordable if an appropriate system is designed and properly implemented. Environmentally sound management can also lead to job creation.
CFLs do not release mercury, unless broken during installation, storage or transportation. Mercury released from broken CFLs can be minimized by providing the public with information on how to prevent breakage and properly clean up and dispose of CFLs. The amount of mercury entering the environment from CFLs can be further minimized when mercury is recovered from spent lamps.
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