Lights Out for IKEA Incandescent Bulbs

Published January 04, 2011

CONSHOHOCKEN, PA — Incandescent light bulbs are a thing of the past at IKEA, which no longer stocks the bulbs set to be banned throughout the U.S. over the coming years.

Beginning in August, the retailer started phasing incandescents out of its U.S. stores ahead of federal legislation that will ban the sales of different wattages of incandescent bulbs from 2012 to 2014.

IKEA is now claiming to be the first retailer to completely eliminate incandescents from its shelves, and now only sells compact fluorescent light bulbs, LEDs and halogen lamps.

In removing incandescent bulbs from stores, IKEA also commissioned a survey of 1,011 people conducted by Harris Interactive, which found that 61 percent of people are not aware of the U.S. legislation, The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, phasing out the bulbs.

That finding is similar to that by Osram Sylvania's latest Socket Survey, in which only 36 percent of people were aware of the legislation.

Under the legislation, 100-watt incandescent bulbs will be banned starting Jan. 1, 2012, followed by 75-watt bulbs in 2013, then 40-watt and 60-watt bulbs in 2014.

Broken light bulb - CC license by Flickr user Kyle May

Jonathan Bardelline is a regular contributor to GreenBiz.com, where he formerly served as Associate Editor.

Why would we want to have the

Scott Sluyter (not verified), January 17, 2011 - 10:03

Why would we want to have the government ban incandescent light bulbs when fluorescent bulbs with ther high level of mercury and other chemicals, are higly toxic to the environment and humans! Find any law recently passed by Congress, look at the title and what it states will be the oposite effect on all of us. "The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007". The impact is just the oposite - Mercury is a good way to reduce our population - fast!
The impact will be devistating with all of mercury from the florescent bulbs in land fills.

We need to have the proper way to despose of Florescent bulbs first before we ban any product lines.

Could not agree with you

Anonymous (not verified), January 18, 2011 - 10:38

Could not agree with you more!!! Most of the land fills around us do not have the capacity to dispose of fluorescent bulbs correctly!

100 Watt Incandescents will

Anonymous (not verified), January 5, 2011 - 06:57

100 Watt Incandescents will be banned starting Jan. 1st, 2012, not 2010.

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Lights Out for IKEA Incandescent Bulbs