More than 500 thousand incandescent lamps were disposed of in the Mykolaiv region as part of the project initiated by Zelenskyy

Incandescent lamp. Illustrative photo from open sources

During 2023, an experimental project to replace household incandescent lamps with LED lamps continued in Ukraine. After its end, 505,000 lamps, provided by the people of Mykolaiv, were sent for disposal.

This was reported by the head of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration, Oleksandra Yefimenko, NikVesti writes.

We will remind that this project was initiated by the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in January 2023 and lasted for a year. Its main goal is to increase the level of electricity savings in the country.

LED lamps were issued to pensioners, as well as legal entities working in health care, physical culture and sports, education, culture, social protection, special support services for individuals, as well as managers of apartment buildings. Legal entities had the opportunity to independently conclude contracts for the disposal of such lamps.

The project ended on January 1, 2024.

«The Department of Ecology handed over 505 21 incandescent lamps for recycling. 227,000 hryvnias were paid for these recycling services from the regional budget,» Oleksandra Yefimenko said.

Project on the exchange and disposal of incandescent lamps

The Cabinet of Ministers approved the Procedure for the implementation in 2023 of an experimental project to replace household incandescent lamps with LED lamps to save electricity. The relevant document appeared on the government's website on January 10 last year. The project was initiated by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Those who wished could exchange five light bulbs with «Ukrposhta», the corresponding application could also be submitted through the «Action» application. Thus, during the first three days of the program, Ukrainians exchanged more than 750,000 lamps at Ukrposhta branches.

It is noted that initially this service was available only in regional centers, but in mid-February this was changed: the service became available in regional centers as well. However, the innovation was canceled already in May.

At the end of March, Ukrposhta announced that it was reducing the number of branches where you can exchange old lamps for LED ones. They explained this by the fact that demand is falling.

In June 2023, the second wave of replacing incandescent lamps with LED lamps was announced. Schools and hospitals were able to use this opportunity.

Later, the director of the Mykolaiv branch of «Ukrposhta» Yehor Kosorukov said that thanks to the program for exchanging incandescent lamps for LED lamps , Ukraine saved significant funds. He noted that the demand for the exchange of light bulbs among the population was not as great as among representatives of social and communal institutions.

At the end of the program, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine decided to request the distribution of LED light bulbs to the population. Pensioners could get five of them per person at Ukrposhta branches.