IALD Publishes Position Paper on Circular Economy

Circular Economy

Oct 6, 2020

With increased environmental awareness, circular economy — a process to limit the production of waste and treat secondary materials and waste as valuable resources — is gaining importance around the world. In response to this emerging initiative, the International Association of Lighting Designers (IALD) recently released a position paper to help ensure any future regulations reflect the needs and aspirations of the lighting design profession.

“In Europe, regulators and lawmakers are already beginning to address circular economy by offering new proposals to support the principles of durability, reparability, and recyclability of products,” says Kevan Shaw, FIALD, lead volunteer of the IALD Regulatory Affairs Working Group. “With this position paper, IALD is prepared to engage in these policy discussions, ensuring lighting designers have a strong voice as these conversations advance.”

The paper also addresses the impact of how value chains in the lighting sector could change as a result of embracing circularity in the economy — be it by creating second-hand markets or adopting lighting as a service business model. It concludes with describing how lighting manufacturers, designers, contractors and clients could work together to ensure the benefits of the circular economy can be achieved.

Read the IALD position paper here.

Photo source: A Circular Economy Handbook for Business and Supply Chains: Repair, Remake, Redesign, Rethink by Catherine Weetman.

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