**** Green Lights Recycling has been acquired by Recycle Technologies Inc, please go to www.recycletechnologies.com for the most accurate information or feel free to call 763-559-5130 ****
Welcome to Green Lights Recycling - Over 25 Years in Business, Since 1995
Green Lights Recycling is a Minnesota based business. We are an industry leader and offer recycling services for special and universal waste items. The list of items we recycle is lengthy and diverse. Our services are available to anyone needing recycling services, including households, public and private businesses, governmental entities and more! Feel free to call or email if you have questions or need assistance with your recycling goals. We have recycled over 100 MILLION POUNDS of waste items since 1995. We strive to continue recycling and hope you will help… Let’s keep it going!
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Since September of 1995
Green Lights Recycling, Inc (GLR) has been providing recycling services throughout The Continental United States for its customers. Recycling services have grown since the company’s inception. GLR got its start recycling fluorescent lamps and High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamps. The HID Lamps include High Pressure Sodium, Metal Halide, Mercury Vapor and Low Pressure Sodium Lamps. GLR recycles older PCB Ballasts and newer Electronic Ballasts. The company has grown and expanded steadily. GLR is based in Minnesota where the recycling process is done. GLR owns the equipment necessary to convert the otherwise hazardous waste into re-usable commodity grade goods. Materials such as glass, metal end caps, brass tips, phosphorous powder and even elemental mercury are reclaimed.
Document Destruction
Green Lights Recycling turns your sensitive paperwork into confetti-sized pieces giving you peace of mind knowing your confidential documents can't be reproduced or recreated. Whether you have a regular service program or are simply performing an annual clean-out, you can be assured your information will be securely destroyed by the experts in the information security industry. We ensure the secure disposal of your confidential information while helping you stay compliant with stringent privacy laws.
Documents should be destroyed that contain the following: Telephone Numbers, Driver’s License Numbers, Passport Numbers, Individual Education Files, Credit Card Numbers, Bank Account Information, Addresses, Social Security Numbers, Insurance Policy Data, Employment Information, Debit Card Numbers and so much more!
Hard Drive Destruction and Shredding
Complete Hard Drive Destruction HIPAA and FACTA compliant. Click Here for additional HIPAA and FACTA information. Green Lights Recycling is pleased to announce two new services for computer hard drive destruction. We have always guaranteed computer hard drive destruction as a part of our services. Recently, we added two new in-house machines to expand our service offering and capabilities. The two machines are called the “Enforcer 12,000” and the “Nemesis 480”. The Enforcer 12,000 is portable and can be used at customer locations for on-site hard drive destruction which is HIPAA and FACTA compliant.
The Nemesis 480 is a stationary hard drive shredder. Intact hard drives are fed into the machine and they are completely shredded. Green Lights Recycling knows that confidential data destruction is imperative and these new machines allow us to ensure that confidential data is completely destroyed.
Fluorescent, LED & HID Lamps
Since 1995, Green Lights Recycling has been protecting our environment by recycling used Fluorescent Lamps and High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamps. Many State Regulatory Agencies and the US EPA have regulated these items to reduce the amount mercury in our landfills and ultimately in our environment. In many states, such as Minnesota, regulations mandate recycling these lamps. Click Here for Minnesota Statute 116.92 Other states follow the US EPA guidance for Universal Waste Disposal which makes recycling the best option for disposal. All fluorescent lamps contain mercury. If improperly disposed, mercury can be harmful or deadly for humans. Be sure to ask about packaging and packaging requirements for the safe transport of old lights destined for recycling. We have several good options to allow customers maintain compliance for proper storage and transport of these old lights. Our US DOT Fiber Drums and Boxes used for Fluorescent Lamps are a good solution for storage and transport. Our containers meet or exceed Local, State and Federal storage and transport requirements.
Fiber drum and box sizes are as follows:
4' Tall Fiber Drums (22" diameter) holds up to 380 - T8 Lamps.
30" Tall Fiber Drums (22" diameter) are perfect for miscellaneous lamps sizes such as compact fluorescent and H.I.D. Lamps.
8' Lamp boxes (6" x 6" x 96") holds up to (16) T12 lamps or (39) T8 lamps.
All containers come with Universal Waste Labels. Green Lights Recycling, Inc. uses the state-of-the-art Lamp Processor. This equipment includes several features that meet our strong commitment to environmental safety, and to the health and well being of our employees. A negative pressure air re-circulation system minimizes the amount of air required for processing. Discharged air is subjected to a triple filter system, which includes pre-filtering, HEPA filtering, and carbon treated filters that remove particulate and mercury vapor. As a result, mercury vapor emissions are significantly below OSHA standards. A hermetically sealed design, constructed from heavy gauge steel, protects the processor from disruption, and fail-safe features are automatically activated in case of an environmental breach.A drum delivery system, for safe handling of broken and odd size lamps, maintains the environmental integrity of the processor, thereby protecting the operator from unsafe mercury vapor exposure. Our recycling process makes recycling used lights easy and affordable. Our highly skilled staff can help you implement a new recycling program or streamline an existing program. We have helped numerous Governmental Agencies, Municipalities, Fortune 500 companies, Large Businesses, Medium Sized Businesses and Households with their recycling needs. We are confident we can help you too. Click Here for the MPCA Fact Sheet on Managing Universal Wastes Guidance and requirements for recycling LED Lights
Ballasts
Ballasts are used to convert energy to the precise power needed to power Fluorescent Lamps and High Intensity Discharge Lamps (HID).
Prior to 1979 these ballasts were manufactured with Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) to reduce the amount of heat emitted. PCBs are a carcinogen and can cause cancer. After 1979 manufacturers were no longer allowed to use PCBs for Ballast production. These old ballasts must be disposed of in accordance with strict regulations ensuring proper disposal.Green Lights Recycling has comprehensive practices which ensure proper disposal. When PCBs were banned in 1979, one of the most commonly used chemicals to replace them in ballast capacitors was di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate or DEHP. DEHP is found in F40 ballasts manufactured between 1979 and 1985, and in F96 ballasts manufactured between 1979 and 1991.Although probably less toxic to humans and the environment than PCBs, DEHP is a probable human carcinogen. As a result, it is regulated by a variety of environmental laws. Under Superfund laws, comprehensive environmental resource conservation liability act (CERCLA), DEHP is a listed hazardous substance. If a person disposes of DEHP ballasts in a landfill and this causes DEHP contamination, then the person involved may be liable for the clean-up of DEHP in the future. Recycling costs for DEHP ballasts are the same as for PCB ballasts.We recommend DEHP ballasts be handled in the same manner as PCB ballasts to avoid potential Superfund liability. More recently, electronic ballasts have been widely used.Green Lights Recycling follows regulatory guidelines for proper recycling of these units too. For example, in Minnesota the Electronic Ballasts are regulated under the same legislation as computers and electronics for disposal and are recycled accordingly.
Appliances
Businesses and Consumers can achieve substantial savings when upgrading to modern, energy efficient appliances. Many old appliances and some newer appliances contain components that need to be properly disposed of when removed from service. What are the Dangers of Used Oil, Mercury, and PCBs? If improperly disposed, used oil from refrigerated appliances can result in the release of dissolved ODS refrigerant and groundwater contamination. In addition, short-term exposure to used oil can cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation; in the long-term, it can cause cancer and damage to the liver, brain, immune system, and reproductive system. When released to the environment, mercury accumulates in the tissues of plants and animals and, when consumed by humans, impairs neurological development and causes other problems associated with the nervous system. PCBs are toxic substances with carcinogenic and non-cancerous effects on humans, including effects on the immune system, reproductive system, nervous system, and endocrine system. Additionally, The US EPA imposes fines for improper disposal. Hydro-fluorocarbon (HFFCs) are a big concern. HCFCs in old refrigerated appliances (air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, etc.) must be recovered according to federal law. The EPA can impose fines up to $25,000 for failure to comply with this regulation. (Source: US EPA Website for Safe Appliance Disposal) Appliance owners play a critical role in helping to protect against environmental hazards associated with appliance disposal.
Mattress and Box Spring
The average lifespan of a mattress is about ten years. In a single year, 20 million mattresses are discarded in the United States alone and most go directly to a landfill. Green Lights Recycling recycles mattresses and box springs and diverts them from landfills. Mattress - Recycling: Dry mattresses, free of mold or pathogens and box springs are accepted for recycling. Sleeper sofas are not recyclable at this time. What are mattresses recycled into? It is estimated that 82 percent of a mattress can be recycled. Recyclable materials include: 30 percent metal, 38 percent cotton, 10 percent foam, and 4 percent wool shoddy. The remaining 18 percent is synthetic materials that cannot be recycled at this time. Once disassembled and sorted, all recyclable materials are sold to make new products. The metal (usually steel) will be melted down and made into new steel products. Recovered fiber is made into automotive stuffing and other textile applications, and recovered foam can be used in insulation or carpet underlayment. Lastly, the wood frames are typically chipped and burned as fuel.