A system (100) for recycling the components of defective or spent fluorescent tubes (3) comprises a conveying device (15), on which the fluorescent tubes (3), which are arranged parallel to each other, adjacent to each other and perpendicular to the conveying device, can be conveyed past processing stations (22, 28, 36, 38, 40) in a substantially horizontal manner. There is a feed station (5) for feeding the delivered fluorescent tubes (3) to the conveying device (15). The processing stations comprise a perforating station (22), where a hole in the glass tube (30) can be produced at least on one end of the fluorescent tubes (3) for the purpose of relieving the negative pressure prevailing in the glass tube; comprise a severing station (36) for severing the sealing and connecting caps (32) from the glass tube (30) of the respective fluorescent tube (3); comprise a blow-out station (38), where the phosphor (31) is blown out of the respective glass tube (30) by means of a blast of air along the length of said tube, and comprise a breaking station (40), where the glass tube (30) can be comminuted into free-flowing fragments. The conveying device (10) can be driven continuously; and the perforating station (22) has on at least one end and the severing station has on both ends of the respective fluorescent tubes (3) burner strips (23) with adjacent nozzle orifices (26), which are arranged close together in a row arranged in a straight line in the conveying direction and which melt the ends of the glass tube (30) into the shape of a slit. (FIG. 1).