‘There’s still a stigma with reused luminaires’
Lucie Sidwell, Global Operations Director of Lucent Lighting, discusses the measures the company is taking to cut its environmental impact.
One of the most effective ways we can reduce our environmental impact is by reusing and incorporating recycled materials into the design and manufacture of products, which Lucent has been taking measures towards.
Lucent Lighting has acted as a pioneer in the industry, working with sustainability at the forefront of its manufacturing process.
It’s important for manufacturers to assess the environmental impact of their luminaires so that they can prioritise where in the business they need to make changes – this can be done through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Lifecycle Analysis, both of which Lucent are now able to offer customers.
An efficient way to ensure sustainability of a lighting product is to focus on its modularity, making it easier to reuse and replace parts of a luminaire for interchangeability and upgrade.
With 80 per cent of the company’s ranges completely modular in design, Lucent made the conscious decision to continue promoting modularity in the production process of all of our products going forward.
With the introduction of the ProCycle initiative, Lucent has taken the reuse of luminaires to a new level.
ProCycle offers a 20-year duty of care following the supply of luminaires. Once a luminaire reaches the end of its life, the LED and driver can be returned to Lucent for refurbishment of the LED module, while the driver is re-supplied with a new five-year warranty.
This initiative will contribute significantly to Lucent’s commitment to monitor, evaluate and develop practices that ensure the company remains a carbon-neutral enterprise.
Manufacturers, suppliers and specifiers are seeing client bases calling out for more sustainable solutions for their projects, and these circular economy strategies need to be implemented on a global scale to meet this growing demand.
Although strides have been made in the industry and interest is increasing, there is still a remaining stigma of reusing luminaires and there is a way to go before this is accepted into all projects.
The best thing that manufacturers can do is ensure they are offering a sustainable solution so that clients can make an informed choice.
There is also increased demand from specifiers for products which have Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and life cycle analysis. Lucent boasts a variety of accreditations, including ISO 14001, an EcoVadis Silver Medal, and was awarded Carbon Neutral status in 2021 and 2023.
Having information such as ISO 14001 on tender documents readily available is a positive step as it allows specifiers to make the most sustainable choice more easily. Yet this also presents an issue for manufacturers who work on a global scale, such as Lucent, as different countries and clients have different requirements.
By encouraging a standard format across the market, this will make it easier to manufacturers to supply the agreed requirements for each client, and for specifiers, suppliers, and clients to make more sustainable choices in lighting products.
Lucent are incredibly committed to being part of the change of the culture of waste in the lighting industry, working hard towards their sustainability goals now and for the future.
• Don’t miss Circular Lighting Live 2023, Recolight’s flagship conference and exhibition taking place on Thursday 21 September 2023 at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Free to specifiers, Circular Lighting Live 2023 will feature leading experts, specifiers and policy makers who will share their insights into forthcoming standards and legislation, emerging technologies and new business models. For 2023, the organisers have moved to a bigger venue with more expansive exhibition floor and included a dedicated track for lighting designers. More info: www.circularlighting.live
