Govt action needed to drive circularity say designers

Lighting designers have voiced concerns that clients, especially in the Middle East, are not yet ready for a circular economy in lighting and government action is needed to bring it into the mainstream. 

Speaking at the Light Middle East exhibition, lighting designer Paul Nulty, founder of lighting design consultancy Nulty+, said: ‘The issue we have is clients and marketplace aren’t ready for it [circular economy]. It’s time to test clients’ desire for fully sustainable solutions.  We need an industry voice. The only way we can go to full sustainable carbon economy is for governments to step in and help.’

Fellow lighting designer and panellist Erin Denikovska of Delta Lighting Design, agreed, adding: ‘We want to change the way the whole industry thinks, starting with clients and sharing the knowledge; designers and manufacturers. We can design certain ways, but the challenge is the clients’ desire for it.’

Ruth Kelly Waskett of Hoare Lea added: ‘The circular economy is about changing the way we do things and looking at the opportunities on how we collaborate.’

Nulty cited an example of where his firm proposed the reuse of lighting solutions from a major event, only to get embroiled in legal debates over who would be responsible in the event of a lighting accident, resulting in the project being dropped.

Praveen Thampi of Ministry of Light told delegates that designers must take the lead in talking to project stakeholders at the initial design phase to develop sustainable solutions.

Thampi said designers must ‘educate their peers and clients’ on lighting as a service as it could  help the circular economy. Additionally, designers must identify products with longevity and minimal impact.

‘Human values and wellbeing are essential,’ added Thampi. ‘All designs have to be human-centric.’

Thampi also talked about how circadian lighting designs in homes and offices can increase alertness, improve mood, reduce hyperactivity, reduce errors and accidents, increase productivity, and tackle a growing issue of vitamin D deficiency by adopting vitamin D synthesis.

‍• Recolight is offering a series of special one-day training workshops on ‘Lighting product design for a Circular Economy’. Hosted by industrial designer Simon Fisher of F Mark, the CPD-accredited event explores the design criteria, regulations and standards to help lighting manufacturers apply and demonstrate circular economy principles in product development. More HERE.