The overall amount of mercury in themercury containing lamps (MCL) market in Sub-Saharan Africais low compared to other sources of mercury, yet it can befurther reduced up-stream by improving lamp lifetime andmercury content. One of the main objectives of this reportis to provide policy-makers with the knowledge and toolsthey need when confronted with a potentially significantflow of end of life mercury containing lamps and thepotential mercury pollution it could generate, eitherairborne or by seeping through the ground to water bodies.The risks related to MCL waste are either low or easilycontrollable in the business-as-usual scenario with adomestic waste collection scheme and landfills. The designof the landfill, which should be engineered, is essential toreduce human exposure, environmental impact and associatedrisks. The most effective solutions to reduce overallmercury emissions, which are incineration with activatedcarbon filters and mercury extraction and which require aseparate collection scheme, also result in the highest riskfor the workers.Some alternative measures can be moreeffective and more sustainable; these require localinvolvement from the government to reinforce policies aswell as broader involvement of lighting manufacturers at theinternational level.Another essential measure is toprepare the lighting market for a shift to othermercury-free lighting technologies. LED has been under thespotlight for several years now, but it will need furtherdevelopment before it becomes commercially viable, and evenmore so in Sub-Saharan Africa.