European regulators want the hazardous material to be removed from neon lighting but have conceded ground to an argument put forward by the sign-industry’s trade organisation the British Sign and Graphics Association (BSGA) and the European Sign Federation (ESF).

The BSGA has earned an exemption for the use of mercury until 2020 allowing more time to lobby for a further extension or to find alternatives to the metal to be developed. Legislators in America and the European Union have insisted on the reduction of the amount of mercury used in neon due to the dangers in handling and disposing of the metal following a United Nations ruling. However, either banning or significantly reducing the amount used would have effectively restricted the colour of neon signs to red, says the BSGA.

Talking about the recent negotiations, Mike Hall, chairman of the BSGA Technical Committee, says: “If we had failed to win the exemption, it could possibly have rung the death knell for neon signs. Dealing with the Council of Europe was never going to be a straight forward.  However, we had an extremely good case and, with perseverance, we managed to get through to them and gain the necessary backing.

“It is widely known that under the Minamata Convention the use of mercury will be banned entirely by the year 2020,” explains Mike. “However, now that we have this exemption in place, we have a good argument to get it extended beyond 2020.

 “Neon is a small but key part of our industry and it needs protection. We must continue work to see that there are controls in place across the industry to ensure correct processing, that the correct amount of mercury is used to produce eco-quality neon, and that lamps perform correctly.”

The proposed banning of mercury comes under the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Regulations 2012. European legislators had intended to include neon (or as it is technically called, Handcrafted Linear Discharge Tubes) within the scope of new RoHS regulations. The ban came out of last year’s Minamata Convention that aimed to end the use of mercury in industry as part of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) by 2020.

UNEP says that mercury “damages the central nervous system, thyroid, kidneys, lungs, immune system, eyes, gums, and skin,” and can result in “neurological and behavioural disorders…with symptoms including tremors, insomnia, memory loss, neuromuscular effects, headaches, and cognitive, and motor dysfunction.” Mercury is mainly taken into the human system in food. The Minamata agreement emerged from the town in Japan where around 1,000 people died from mercury poisoning after they ate shellfish containing the substance—the seafood had suffered from industrial pollution.
According to The Register, another material used in the sign world and industry in general is also for the chop by 2020. In China, mercury is used to manufacture PVC. The man-made material is commonly used in furniture, iPod covers, and computer hardware such as the humble mouse.

LED is rapidly being developed and some in the industry see it as being an alternative to neon in the future as it uses less power, has a longer life, and there are no hazardous materials. Neon advocates say LED is a poor substitute as it is less bright, not weatherproof, and isn’t so flexible. Whether mercury substitutes can be invented and manufactured in time remains to be seen.

Should mercury continue to be used after 2020? We'd love to hear your views.

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