A recycling deposit box has been set up at Coles supermarket in Peel St as part of a "Flashback''

recycling program.

The fluorescent light globes are taken from Coles to CMA Ecorecycle in Campbellfield where glass

and metals, including aluminium and toxic mercury, are separated and despatched for re-use.

The recycling service is free.

CMA Ecorecycle chemist Peter Bitto said just 1.5 per cent of fluorescent lights were recycled in

Australia.

Mr Bitto said when it came to recycling mercury-containing light globes Australia was "40 years

behind the rest of the world''.

He said compact fluorescent globes contained about five milligrams of mercury, which was "enough

to contaminate 5000 litres of water''.

If all fluorescent lights were recycled this would prevent the annual dumping of 70 million lights into

landfill.

Mr Bitto said recycling the lights also cut carbon emissions because to recycle aluminium

required 18.5 times less energy than to produce the metal from raw materials.

Glass from the lights is used in several products including insulation batts while the mercury is used

by the dental industry.

Mr Bitto said legislative change was required to increase recycling.

"As long as there is no law against dumping fluorescent lights into landfill it will always be difficult

to recycle,'' he said.

The Flashback program is an Australian first and a government and industry joint project.

Sustainability Victoria acting chief executive officer Chiang Yip said the Flashback trial would

provide important data along with encouraging Victorians to switch to energy efficient lighting and

to dispose of compact fluorescent lights responsibly.

The initial program will run as a four-month trial and will see fluoro tube boxes and high-top

wheelie bins placed in Coles stores in Ballarat and Ararat.

Both incandescent and fluorescent globes are being accepted.