Environmentally friendly lighting

Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are just one of the ways the lighting industry aims to support its sustainability claims. They provide a consistent method to verify data about the environmental impact of the lighting sector. Based on a product life-cycle assessment (LCA) they provide a complete report for a product or material. 

 

Reliable third party information about lighting manufacturing is becoming more important. Evaluating the environmental effects throughout a product's lifecycle, from obtaining raw materials to disposal gives more credibility to sustainability claims. 

 

These tools will provide basic information so that carbon footprint and carbon reduction targets can be set. 

 

Recolight is the UK’s leading Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) compliance scheme for the lighting industry. It supports its members with a widespread free lamp collection and recycling service, keeping lighting waste out of landfill sites. 

 

Since it was set up in 2007, it has funded recycling of over 370 million lamps, LEDs and luminaires. However, recycling isn’t the only option and it also encourages re-use to minimise waste. At a recent conference Recolight announced a partnership to provide a luminaire-specific online tool for manufacturers to generate LCAs and EPDs. 

 

New technology like artificial intelligence (AI) will affect lighting product design and manufacturing. There are also emerging solutions like 3D printing and bioplastics that don’t use fossil fuels. 

 

The lighting industry has moved on a lot in recent years. Halogen lights aren’t manufactured anymore and many businesses and homeowners are choosing energy-efficient alternatives. 

 

LEDs are the most common and adaptable light fittings and can replace dimmable lights and spotlights. LEDs are also more energy-efficient than compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). They are long-lasting and very easy to maintain. They often operate for up to 50,000 hours, so they’ll give you a very good return on your investment. 

 

While turning lights off when a space isn’t in use will save energy, movement sensors are a more reliable option. Timers on external lights are also helpful to make sure they are only on when they need to be.