No More Mercury – The Phase Out of Mercury & Metal Halide Bulbs
No More Mercury
Plan Your Mercury-Free Transition
Countdown to EU RoHS exemption end date
The EU RoHS exemption for mercury in fluorescent lamps comes to an end on
24 February 2027.
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Start planning now to reduce uncertainty around bulb supply,
downtime and future system support.
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No More Mercury:
What the 2027 Mercury & Metal Halide Phase-Out Means
From 24 February 2027, replacement mercury and metal halide lamps are expected to become much harder to purchase in the EU as RoHS exemptions expire. Existing systems can still be used, but labs should plan how they will source bulbs or transition to LED illumination.
What’s changing: You can keep using existing systems, but from 24 February 2027 the sale/import of new mercury-based replacement lamps into the EU is expected to be heavily restricted as RoHS exemptions expire.
What’s not changing: your existing system doesn’t become illegal overnight.
Why act now: shortages, rising costs, and downtime risk will increase as 2027 approaches.
In simple terms: you won’t be forced to switch your system off but replacing bulbs will get harder, slower, and more expensive.
No More Mercury: Mercury Phase-Out 2027
The Mercury and Metal Halide Lamp Replacement & LED Alternatives
Mercury and metal halide bulbs have lit up labs for decades, but their time is nearly over. While existing systems will not be switched off overnight, the ability to purchase and replace mercury-based bulbs will become increasingly restricted from 2027.
Some are framing it as a ‘mercury bulb ban’ but mercury lamps won’t be illegal to use after 2027, it’s more a case that new bulbs will no longer be manufactured or placed onto the market, and will become increasingly hard to source and vastly more expensive than they are now.
By 24th February 2027, mercury-based illumination will no longer be a viable long-term option for most laboratories.
In simple terms: you won’t be forced to turn your system off, but replacing mercury bulbs will become increasingly difficult and unreliable after February 2027.
This page is for laboratories, OEMs, system builders, and facilities using mercury or metal halide illumination who need to understand what’s changing and how to prepare. You don’t need to change everything today. You just need a plan.
Does the 2027 Mercury and Metal Halide Bulb Phase-Out Affect my Application Area?
Yes life science, materials science, and industrial inspection are all affected
The 2027 phase-out isn’t about whether you’re “allowed” to use your current microscope or inspection system. It’s about the availability of mercury-containing lamps and replacement bulbs, which impacts any workflow that still relies on mercury or metal halide illumination regardless of the application.
The phase-out affects Life Sciences, Materials Science and Industrial Inspection applications, including fluorescence microscopy, microscopy and analysis, machine vision, semiconductor inspection and metrology.
Not sure what to do next?
These resources will help you check your current bulb usage, explore key information, assess your readiness, and plan your transition.
Your Mercury-Free Alternatives
CoolLED LED Illumination Systems are the ready-made replacements for mercury bulbs – safer, energy-efficient, and simple to install.
These systems are designed as direct replacements for mercury and metal halide lamps, without requiring changes to your microscope.
Going mercury-free isn’t just about compliance. It’s about sustainability and smarter science.
✅ ACT Label Certified (pE-300 and pE-400 Series)
The ACT Label (Accountability, Consistency, Transparency) is often described as a “nutrition label for lab equipment.” It is managed by My Green Lab and independently verified by a third party. Products are scored on manufacturing, energy and water use, packaging, end-of-life disposal, and corporate responsibility. Achieving certification shows that CoolLED products meet strict environmental standards across their full lifecycle.
✅ EcoVadis Bronze Medal
EcoVadis provides one of the world’s most trusted business sustainability ratings. Companies are assessed across four themes: Environment, Labour & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement. Earning a Bronze medal places CoolLED in the top 35% of companies assessed worldwide, recognising our ongoing efforts to improve environmental and social responsibility across our entire business. You can view our official assessment here
✅ Over 20 Years of Innovation in LED Illumination
We’ve been pioneering mercury-free LED Illumination since 2006 – reducing energy use, cutting waste, and eliminating hazardous materials. We understand the realities of replacing mercury and metal halide because we’ve been doing it for nearly 20 years, across routine fluorescence, advanced imaging, and demanding facility environments. We’ve helped thousands of users transition by matching illumination to their stains/fluorophores, microscope platforms, control requirements, and uptime needs. It’s not about forcing a change overnight, it’s about future-proofing performance and availability with a proven alternative.
Act Now – Don’t Wait Until 2027
Talk to our team about the best replacements for your facility
