Characterization of end-of-life LED lamps: Evaluation of reuse, repair and recycling potential

The characterization of wastes constituted by LED lamps at the end of their lives is currently a concern of researchers and environmental managers not only because of the large volume will be generated by such wastes, but also to identify appropriate strategies for their reuse as well as their recyclability. This research describes the different steps involved in the characterization of LED lamps at the end of their lives such as, testing the functionality of the whole lamps, as well as modules and the LED components of the non-functional lamps. The results revealed that about 30.8 % of the wasted LED lamps are still working and could be reused in the social and solidarity economy or remarketed if economically viable. On the other hand, functionality test of the non-functional lamps showed that 56.5 % of the LED modules and 75% of the LED chips are still functional. Our investigations revealed that, repairing the non-functional lamps or reusing their functional components is challenging and therefore, their recycling is highly recommended.