Egg Lighting commits to repair and reuse

Egg Lighting has signed the UK Repair and Reuse Declaration, a landmark commitment to reducing waste and promoting circularity.

The UK ranked second globally in 2022 for electronic waste generation, averaging 23.9 kilograms per person.

In the lighting sector, 42,000 tonnes of commercial lighting equipment are sold annually, with only 8 per cent collected for WEEE-approved recycling at end-of-life.

This, says the company, underscores a critical challenge in managing electronic waste, especially in lighting.

As a signatory, Egg lighting pledges to design products for durability and repairability, provide repair information and spare parts to consumers and collaborate with the recycling industry to ensure end-of-life products are recycled responsibly.

In a statement, the company said: ‘We believe that this declaration is a vital step in creating a more sustainable future for the lighting industry and the planet as a whole.’

Separately, the European Parliament recently backed enhanced ‘right to repair’ legislation that could result in significant changes to the design of luminaires for the consumer market.

European lawmakers have adopted a proposal on common rules promoting the repair of goods to support the objectives of the European Green Deal by reducing waste.

The bill will make it easier and more cost-effective for consumers to repair as opposed to replace goods. Additionally, more demand should translate into a boost to the repair sector while incentivising producers and sellers to develop more sustainable business models.

The Parliament’s measures include a one-year guarantee on repaired goods, the option for replacement products during extended repairs, and the power for market authorities to regulate spare parts prices, such as lamps and drivers.

Observers say the laws will ensure that more products are repaired within the legal guarantee, and that consumers have easier and cheaper options to repair products that are technically repairable when the legal guarantee has expired or when the good is not functional anymore as a result of wear and tear.

Pictured: Egg lighting director Brian O’Reilly

• Diary date: Circular Lighting Live 2024, Recolight’s flagship conference and exhibition, takes place on Wednesday 9 October 2024 at the Royal College of Physicians in London. Free to specifiers, Circular Lighting Live 2024 will feature leading experts, specifiers and policy makers who will share their insights into forthcoming standards and legislation, emerging technologies and new business models. More info: www.circularlighting.live