SUSTAINABILITY CRITERIA

To measure the sustainability of our products, LEDVANCE has identified the following relevant performance characteristics.


 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

The three values in the inner circle constitute pivotal indicators for the sustainable performance of our products. Concerning these indicators, we follow a ’no step backwards’ policy when developing new products. Hence, we make it our responsibility to consistently improve the efficacy and life of our products and to further reduce their hazardous contents. This way, we assure a process of continuous improvement.

The efficacy of a lightsource is calculated in lumens per watt (lm/W). Typical values range from 10 lm/W for incandescent lamps and 70 lm/W for compact fluorescent lamps to over 100 lm/W for high intensity discharge and LED-lamps. For the ecology, high efficacy means producing the needed light with as little energy as possible and thus reducing the CO2 emitted through the production of electricity. Above that, a high efficacy helps the customer save on energy bills.
In several aspects the rated life of product is of great importance. A longer lasting product means less use of resources, less cost for transportation, and less waste to be recycled at the end of its life. In brief, less environmental impact per hour of light. In addition to this environmental advantage, the customer benefits from a longer life in terms of not having to replace the products as often.

 

Modern lighting technology consists of highly complex products using different technologies to generate light. Back in 1967, we were one of the first manufacturers to produce lamps without the carcinogenic metal beryllium in phosphor lamps. Since then, we have constantly reduced or eliminated hazardous materials in our products and strive for further reduction or elimination. But in some LEDVANCE products the use of harmful substances is still unavoidable at present. In the last few years mercury has moved into public focus owing to the discussion on replacing inefficient incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent lamps, which contain minute amounts of mercury. However, for this group of lamps, using mercury continues to be unmatched for generating energy efficient lighting.

>> Handling broken lamps
In addition to mercury, there are other hazardous substances that are necessary for modern lighting products. To minimize their use, LEDVANCE has compiled an Index List Environment (ILE) which contains substances we prohibit in our products, and substances which we are reducing to the lowest possible levels. To manage their content in our products, we require our suppliers to peruse our ILE, disclose any relevant substance, and confirm their compliance with all these provisions.

>> Index List Environment
 
As a matter of course, LEDVANCE complies with the European directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) which aims to reduce the use of hazardous chemicals in the production process. In addition, LEDVANCE conforms to the framework of the European regulation REACH since we import or produce chemicals. The regulation provides for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH).
 

SECONDARY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Depending on the application, other characteristics may also contribute to the sustainability of a product. We monitor the following additional indicators for our products.

Light influences the biological well-being of humans and other organisms. A light source that closely matches the characteristics of daylight can positively influence the circadian rhythm, promoting the well-being especially of people working without the benefit of natural sunlight.
With the growing scarcity of natural resources, recycling is becoming ever more important. Making products easier to recycle by reducing the number of different materials, and avoiding compound materials that are difficult to recycle is an important goal for our development department. Therefore, the recyclability of a product is also an important indicator for sustainability.
Having the possibility of dimming a light source can affect sustainability in two ways: On the one hand it allows the power consumption of a light source to be reduced if less light is needed. On the other hand it facilitates the change to energy-saving solutions for end-users who already have dimmers installed in their homes. But it is important to realize that a lamp dimmed to half its light output will use more energy than a lamp designed for this reduced light output.
Packaging fulfils an important function in getting the product to the customer. It protects a product from damage in transit, and is an important tool for communication with the end-user and customer. LEDVANCE has comprehensive guidelines to minimize the environmental impact of its packaging, which makes it a relevant indicator for the sustainability of a product.
In the case of lamps bought to replace burnt out ones, consumers are usually not willing to replace their luminaries to accommodate the most efficient technologies. Engineering an energy-saving product to allow a one-to-one replacement of a less efficient lamp (with the same base and outside dimensions) is a bonus for sustainability - even if a better solution would be available with a new luminaire.
Obviously, smaller and lighter products use less resources to produce, less space to transport, and make for less waste at the end of their life. But as miniaturizing lamps may lead to drawbacks in efficacy, we consider the trade-off carefully. A good example of our sustainable products are the T5 fluorescent lamps. They offer the optimum efficacy with more lumen per watt than fluorescent lamps of larger and smaller diameters.

DOWNLOADS

Filename Size Date
LED Retrofit environmental information 229.59 KB 07.02.2023
Ballast environmental information 187.51 KB 07.02.2023
CFL environmental information 199.78 KB 07.02.2023
HQI & HWL environmental information 220.27 KB 07.02.2023
HQI & HCI environmental information 201 KB 07.02.2023
Vialox & Nav environmental information 238.09 KB 07.02.2023
Fluorescent Lamps environmental information 195.6 KB 07.02.2023
Halogen Lamps environmental information 223.38 KB 07.02.2023

FURTHER DOWNLOADS:

SYLVANIA Safety Data Sheets