What Ecolights Northwest does

EcoLights Northwest LLC, founded in 1996 and headquartered in Kent, Washington, is a specialized hazardous waste recycling company focused on the safe processing of mercury-containing fluorescent lamps, ballasts, batteries, and other universal wastes. It operates as a subsidiary of Total Reclaim and runs processing facilities across the Pacific Northwest — including its primary Kent processing site and corporate office, plus operations-support facilities in Spokane Valley (WA), Portland (OR), and Anchorage (AK). The company is the exclusive recycler for the LightRecycle Washington product stewardship program and was awarded the inaugural Washington state mercury lamp recycling contract in 2001 and the Oregon state contract in 2004.

The core technical asset is a proprietary closed-loop lamp recycling system with zero mercury emissions: lamps are crushed and separated into glass, aluminum end caps, metal filaments, and mercury phosphor powder inside a continuous vacuum, with process air cleaned through pleated filters, HEPA filters, and sulfur-impregnated carbon beds. Mercury levels are tested three times daily, and lamps are processed within 72 hours of receipt. The facility is permitted by the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, holds RIOS certification, and operates under an integrated QEHS policy. Processing capacity exceeds 6 million lamps annually, with over 1 million lamps recycled each year through LightRecycle Washington alone and a network of more than 200 drop-off locations.

EcoLights generates revenue through three streams: (1) commercial pickup services for contractors, facility/property managers, government, healthcare, and industrial customers using its own truck fleet; (2) prepaid mail-back recycling kits sold online via its e-commerce shop (priced from $31.45 for a CFL kit to $179.95 for a 4-foot shielded fluorescent kit); and (3) universal waste consolidation and downstream routing services. Customer segments include contractors and construction, facility and property management, government/schools/institutions, commercial office buildings, healthcare facilities, warehouses/distribution centers, and small business/residential customers. The company has no disclosed external institutional investment and remains a privately held LLC.

Name

Ecolights Northwest

Legal name

EcoLights Northwest LLC

Website

https://ecolights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ecolights Northwest, founded 1996 and based in Kent, Washington, is a Pacific Northwest hazardous waste recycler specializing in mercury-containing fluorescent lamp and universal waste recycling. It serves contractors, facility managers, government, healthcare, and commercial customers across Washington, Oregon, and Alaska via direct pickup, prepaid mail-back kits, and the LightRecycle Washington program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hazardous Waste Recycling Services

NAICS

Hazardous Waste Collection (562112), Waste Collection (56211), Waste Management and Remediation Services (562)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial & Office Waste Collection (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Lamp recycling services
• Universal waste management
• Mercury recovery services
• Fluorescent lamp recycling
• Hazardous waste recycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Commercial Pickup Services: Scheduled pickup programs for commercial accounts including contractors, property managers, and government entities requiring recycling of fluorescent lamps, ballasts, and universal waste. Revenue generated through service fees based on volume and pickup frequency.
2. Prepaid Recycling Kits: Mail-back recycling kits sold online for fluorescent lamps, CFLs, ballasts, batteries, and electronic waste. Each kit includes prepaid UPS shipping labels and a certificate of recycling upon processing.
3. Universal Waste Consolidation: Storage and consolidation services for mercury-containing equipment, batteries, ballasts, fixtures, and e-waste. Materials are processed on-site or transported to certified downstream partners for final processing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

EcoLights Northwest provides specialized recycling services for mercury-containing fluorescent lamps and universal waste streams, including batteries, ballasts, electronic waste, and mercury-containing devices. The company operates commercial scheduled pickup services for businesses and institutions, sells prepaid mail-back recycling kits through an online shop for small businesses and residential customers, and partners on Washington State's LightRecycle statewide mercury lamp stewardship program. Operations are delivered from facilities in Kent (WA), Spokane Valley, Portland, and Anchorage using a proprietary zero-mercury-emissions closed-loop processing system.

Product overview

EcoLights Northwest operates as a recycling services company offering a unified portfolio of hazardous waste recycling solutions. The core offering consists of on-site pickup services for fluorescent lamps and universal waste, supported by a network of processing facilities. Prepaid recycling kits serve as a complementary channel for smaller quantities, providing mail-back solutions for lamps, batteries, ballasts, and electronics with prepaid UPS shipping and certificate of recycling. The company manages the LightRecycle Washington statewide program as exclusive recycler, providing free residential recycling through 200+ drop-off locations. Services are available across Washington, Oregon, and Alaska through facilities in Kent (headquarters/processing), Spokane Valley, Portland, and Anchorage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Fluorescent Lamp Recycling Service Scheduled and on-demand pickup service for spent fluorescent lamps from commercial and institutional generators, processed through the company's zero-mercury-emissions closed-loop system. Customers include lighting contractors, facility managers, government buildings, schools, healthcare facilities, retail, hospitality, warehouses, and industrial sites.
• Universal Waste Consolidation Service Pickup and processing for universal waste streams including batteries, ballasts, electronic waste, and mercury-containing devices, combined with lamp recycling for consolidated multi-stream compliance.
• Whole Fixture Recycling Service Recycling service for entire lighting fixtures submitted by customers for processing, allowing disposal of fixtures without first removing the lamps.
• Prepaid Recycling Kits (Mail-Back Program) Prepaid shipping kits sold through the company's online shop for mailing small quantities of lamps and universal waste to processing facilities. Available in configurations including CFL Recycling Kit, CFL Collection Station, Battery Kit, Lithium Battery Kit, Electronic Waste Kit, Ballast Kit, 4-ft Lamp Kit, 4-ft Shielded Kit, 8-ft Lamp Kit, and U-Tube Kit, for residential and small business users.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero mercury emissions released during lamp recycling process
• +2 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LightRecycle WashingtonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Exclusive recycler for the LightRecycle Washington program, a product stewardship program created under Washington legislation. EcoLights built and manages a network of 200+ drop-off locations and has recycled over 1 million lamps annually through this program. The program provides free recycling for residents and small businesses across Washington State.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stericycle: Specialty waste services provider offering regulated waste management including lamps, batteries, and pharmaceuticals for commercial and institutional customers. Comparable regulated-waste collection and compliance documentation model.
• Heritage-Crystal Clean: US provider of hazardous and non-hazardous waste services including used oil, antifreeze, and lamp/ballast recycling through its Environmental Services segment. Comparable in handling regulated universal waste streams for commercial customers.
• Republic Services: Major US solid waste and recycling hauler with recycling services including lamp and universal waste programs. Comparable in providing commercial pickup and mail-back recycling solutions for fluorescent lamps and related waste.
• WM (Waste Management): Largest North American waste and environmental services provider with Think Green recycling programs including lamp and universal waste recycling. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering mail-back kits and commercial pickup for regulated waste.
• Clean Harbors: Largest North American provider of hazardous waste disposal, recycling, and environmental services with extensive lamp and universal waste capabilities. Overlaps with EcoLights on regulated mercury-bearing waste collection and processing.
• Veolia North America: Global environmental services operator with significant hazardous waste, lamp recycling, and universal waste programs across North America. Comparable as a large incumbent providing regulated waste collection and recycling services.
• Total Reclaim: Parent company of EcoLights Northwest; broader electronics recycler and IT asset disposition specialist operating Pacific Northwest facilities. Highly comparable given shared ownership, overlapping logistics, and cross-referral of e-waste customers.

Direct peers

• Air Cycle Corporation: Specialty recycler focused on fluorescent lamp, ballast, and bulb recycling with mail-back kit programs (Bulb Eater) for commercial customers. Direct overlap with EcoLights on lamp recycling services and customer base across North America.
• Balcan Plastic & Lighting Recycling: Canadian-based specialist in fluorescent lamp and lighting waste recycling, operating processing facilities and pickup services. Comparable business model centered on mercury-lamp recycling and universal waste handling.
• Lighting Resources Inc. Specialty recycler of fluorescent lamps, CFLs, and lighting ballasts serving utilities, retailers, and government agencies. Directly comparable business model focused on mercury-lamp processing and universal waste handling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecolights Northwest