Erco is using lenses made from 100 per cent recyclate in its two latest ranges.
The lenses for the Skim Panlens downlight series and the Pollux New spotlight range are produced from surplus polymer left over from the many lenses for spotlights and downlights that the company manufactures in-house.
Specifically, Erco is using the plastic left over in the ‘sprue’ channel which guides the liquified plastic into a mould.
Until now, these production scraps were passed on for further use. Now, a new process enables 100 per cent in-house re-use. The material is cleaned, shredded and processed into high-quality plastic granulate by a local partner. This granulate is then used to produce the lens for Skim Panlens. By responsibly using such resources, indirect emissions from raw material procurement are reduced by up to 95 per cent and the carbon footprint is lowered.
The company says the approach doesn’t compromise light quality or durability.
The use of the lens means that the Skim Panlens downlight series is now the product family with the lowest Global Warming Potential in the Erco range.
Pollux spotlights combine a compact, cylindrical luminaire head with an adapter for the Erco track, which also houses the control gear. They are aimed at applications in museums, hospitality, retail or private living spaces. New in-house manufactured control gear allows one more LED to be added to the Pollux board within the same 66 mm diameter housing, which results in 33 per cent more light than the previous model of the same size.
The thermal management of the die-cast aluminium luminaire head and the completely re-designed opto-electronics are built for a service life of at least 20 years, in accordance with the current company factory standard.
The company describes the extra LED as an ‘environmental bonus’ because less material and tooling is required to deliver the same output.
