Manufacturing Today Issue - 215 August 2023 | Page 249

_________________________________________________________________________________________ Whitecroft
Lighting
“ Firstly , as energy costs continue to rise in the UK , replacing inefficient lighting can be an ‘ easy win ’ for organizations and domestic customers to reduce their energy bills . In terms of sustainability , it goes without saying that retrofitting existing lighting with new LED technology is an effective step in reducing the environmental impact of any building .
“ Lastly , the obsolescence of fluorescent tube lighting will dramatically drive demand in the retrofit market ,” he proffers . “ The 1930s technology is being phased out across the European Union ( EU ) and UK from September 2023 and February 2024 respectively , which will force organizations to replace such lighting with alternative solutions that improve their sustainability credentials .”
Whitecroft ’ s presence in the retrofit market means the business has significantly changed its approach to product design . It has launched a new product line , Whitecroft Vitality , which includes its latest innovations : Cascade Flex Vitality and the Flight Vitality range . Robert elaborates : “ Our Whitecroft Vitality products boast long-life LED luminaires , requiring minimal maintenance , and are Cradle to Cradle ® certified , meaning the environmental impact of the manufacturing process has been carefully considered and minimized where possible .
“ However , reducing carbon emissions is a continuous process and we know there is always more scope to improve and reduce ,” he continues . “ We ’ re committed to making strategic investments in machines that offer enhanced functionality and unlock automated features , enabling us to offer circular solutions .
“ We ’ re also analyzing the ways in which we can minimize or even reuse waste . We now punch out several components from otherwise waste material , and we ’ ve recently designed a double-sided LED board , which is more environmentally friendly due to a reduced material use .
manufacturing-today . com 249