Funding
Product Care Recycling is an industry funded not-for-profit. The British Columbia lights program is funded entirely by Environmental Handling Fees (EHFs) remitted to Product Care by its industry members. The fees are utilized for collection, transportation, recycling and safe disposal of returned products, as well as program administration and communication.
The Environmental Handling Fees may be displayed as a separate charge by vendors, sometimes described as an eco-fee, environmental handling fee, or recycling fee on the receipt.
The Environmental Handling Fee is part of the price of regulated products and therefore subject to applicable sales taxes. While the taxes are remitted to the government, the fee itself is not remitted to the government.
In BC, fees have been applied to the sale or supply of:
- all lights/lamps since July 1, 2010, and
- all ballasts and fixtures (including retail, industrial, commercial and institutional sales) as of October 1, 2012.
| Environmental Handling Fees | |
|---|---|
| Light Bulbs | |
| Tubes measuring less than or equal to 2 feet | $0.20 |
| Tubes measuring greater than 2 feet and up to or equal to 4 feet | $0.40 |
| Tubes measuring greater than 4 feet | $0.80 |
| Compact fluorescent lights (CFL) / Screw-in induction lamps | $0.15 |
| Light emitting diodes (LED) | $0.15 |
| High intensity discharge (HID) and other: UV, Germicidal, UHP, Neon, etc. | $1.10 |
| Incandescent / Halogen | $0.05 |
| Miniature bulb package | $0.10 |
Tubes include linear, U-shape and circ-line. Their length is the length of the tube if straightened.
| Fixtures and Ballasts | |
|---|---|
| Designated small fixtures / Decorative light strings: flashlights, bike lights, night lights, Christmas light strings etc. | $0.15 |
| Fixture Category A: portable, small outdoor, decorative, light commercial, emergency, chandeliers, ceiling fans, linear fixtures, etc. | $0.15 |
| Fixture Category B: non-linear, commercial and industrial, etc. | $0.15 |
| Large outdoor fixtures: flood, sports, highway, street, etc. | $0.15 |
| Ballasts (not integrated into lamps or fixtures) | $0.15 |