Catching the Wave of Sustainability in Lighting

By Kaare Sola, LEED GREEN ASSOCIATE, NCIDQ, WELL AP - PARALLEL

Sara Schonour, LC, IALD, MIES - LUXSI

Lighting manufacturers, are you daunted by the call for more sustainability in lighting? Between HPDs, Declare, EPDs, RoHS, and all the other labels and certifications being discussed in our industry today, it can be overwhelming to understand what to prioritize in your roadmap.

Don’t be disheartened! The industry—and the manufacturing world at large—has a unique opportunity ahead. After all, manufacturing contributes about a quarter of the US’s greenhouse gas emissions. With strategic vision, you can seize this movement to assess your operations, find business efficiencies, recast your brand, and create an action plan to set you apart from your competitors.

Here are steps you can take to advance your sustainability journey.

Recognize the demand and the opportunity.

If you haven’t already read the Lighting Advocacy Letter and checked out the accompanying Toolkit, make sure to start there. With over 100 signatories of lighting, architecture, and engineering firms specifying lighting globally, this is the demand from the design community. What an opportunity to create a dialogue with your customers!

Evaluate current practices.

Begin by thoroughly assessing existing operational and manufacturing processes, materials used, and energy consumption for each stage of the manufacturing process and other energy-intensive processes. Identify areas with the highest energy and environmental impact and prioritize them for improvement. Use the 5 “areas of concern” identified by the AIA to help structure and organize your discovery:

HUMAN HEALTH

Support and nurture life throughout the entire manufacturing process and seek to eliminate the use of substances that are hazardous to humans.

CLIMATE HEALTH

Strategize to lower embodied carbon wherever possible.

ECOSYSTEM HEALTH

Design processes that sustain and regenerate the natural air, water, and biological cycles of life through thoughtful supply chain management and restorative company practices.

SOCIAL HEALTH AND EQUITY

Protect human rights in operations and supply chains, and provide positive impacts for workers and the communities where they operate.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Create products that are designed for long life and have end-of-useful-life solutions (design for disassembly/recycling/ repurposing, create take-back/buy-back programs to re-use components in future product manufacturing, etc.) and create a closed-loop manufacturing cycle.

Create Ideas for action.

Explore Zhaga compliance and other in-field replacement options for parts that fail or need updating. Design products with standardized components that can be easily replaced reduces waste and extends the lifespan of lighting fixtures.

Consider using healthier materials in product design and manufacturing processes. This includes selecting materials with lower human health impact by evaluating and benchmarking the chemistry of products to identify opportunities to optimize or exchange for healthier alternatives.

Establish measurable sustainability goals and track progress. This may include targets related to energy efficiency, waste reduction, carbon emissions, and product lifespan. Regularly monitor performance against these metrics and adjust strategies along the way to achieve sustainability objectives.

Engage with other manufacturers in the industry to create a collective signal for sustainable practices within the supply chain. Collaborative efforts can drive broader adoption of environmentally friendly solutions and create economies of scale for sustainable initiatives. Also, look for workshops in your area and regional events focused on sustainability.

Map out and deploy your execution plan!

These are just a few ideas – and there are many more, like supply chain analysis, optimizing packaging and transportation, and end-of-life buyback and takeback solutions. There are tons of things you can do, which almost makes it easier – every action you take equates to progress!

Looking for advice and support to make your sustainable goals into reality? Check out companies like Parallel, whose mission is to provide competency, integrated support systems, and aligned networks to make companies’ sustainability strategies into business success.

No matter what step you take, by integrating sustainable practices throughout your operations you can reduce your environmental footprint, enhance your reputation as a socially responsible business, and capitalize on one of the industry's biggest movements – not to mention contribute to a more sustainable future for years to come.