Lighting is playing an ever-increasingly important role in the circular economy. Luminaires are no longer seen as part of the disposable society, thanks to a recognition that they can be upgraded and refurbished to extend their lifetime. Responsible manufacturers are integrating this approach into the design of luminaires from the outset, providing greater convenience to sustainability. David Goddard, Head of UK Projects from LEDVANCE explores this principle.
For many years the lighting industry faced the challenge of reducing electronic waste. The barrier to achieving this was the limited lifespan that traditional light sources, and even early generation LEDs, offered. To address this, responsible manufacturers have adopted manufacturing practices that enable luminaires to be part of the circular economy.
At its heart, the circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves reusing, repairing, refurbishing existing products for as long as possible. The lifecycle of products is subsequently extended and is a move away from the linear economic model society had become reliant on. The unsustainable linear model is one which involves large quantities of cheap, and therefore rapidly disposable, products. These are never recycled or upgraded and ultimately end up being sent to landfill on an all too frequent basis.
One example of the circular economy in practice is LEDVANCE’s EVERLOOP approach. This principle enables the replacement of individual light sources and drivers in a convenient way, rather than having to replace luminaires in their entirety. The purpose behind EVERLOOP is that it is integrated into the LED from the offset, allowing for the straightforward upgrade with new drivers and new LED light sources at any time. This means the luminaires have an almost unlimited lifespan.
The ease of replacement is key to the success of this sustainability practice. Having the ability to change the driver and light source embedded into the luminaire offers a convenient choice for many across the industry. This includes installers, planners, and facilities managers, among others wanting to secure sustainable efficiency of industrial and office applications, as well as public buildings.
The EVERLOOP approach is one way that LEDVANCE is contributing to the EU’s plan to reduce electronic waste. As well as meeting legislative requirements and targets, it also represents how lighting manufacturers are demonstrating efforts and measures that go above and beyond to address sustainability matters.
There are many reasons why focusing on the reduction of electronic waste is crucial. Firstly, the re-use of existing products slows down the use of natural resources and raw materials. This means a reduction in landscape and habitat disruption as materials do not need to be mined.
A circular economy further protects the natural environment by lowering the amount of waste that is sent to landfill, or disposed of through burning. Figures from the World Resources Institute show that each year, 300 million tonnes of plastic waste is produced globally. This is in addition to 54 million tonnes of electronic waste. Designing products that can be used for much longer will reduce waste levels, and therefore pressure on the environment.
Adding to this, creating more efficient and sustainable products from the beginning of its lifecycle helps to lower energy and resource consumption. This is because, according to research published by the European Parliament, it is estimated that more than 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined during the design phase.
To put this into context, data shows that around 45% of global greenhouse gas comes from product use and manufacturing. By implementing circular economy strategies that reduce this need to keep producing more and more, will significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. This has the ability to reduce and potentially reverse some of the negative implications of climate change.
The circular economy also secures benefits that go beyond the individual products themselves. A reduction in the number of new products also lowers the associated packaging that needs to be disposed of. By upgrading the products that are in situ, there is less packaging for the replacement products – only what is needed to transport and store them safely. This in turn lowers the amount of waste, that in too many cases is still non-recyclable, that will be sent to landfill.
The role of lighting in the circular economy is clear to see, especially when there is an easy solution to challenging the outdated and detrimental linear model. The move to refurbishing and upgrading luminaires is becoming increasingly commonplace, and LEDVANCE is proud to be part of this movement.
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