Environmental protection

Product roadmaps - Domestic lighting

As part of our work on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), we are developing ten product roadmaps to reduce the environmental impacts across the life cycle of a range of priority products. Lighting is one of these products.

Why lighting?

In line with current evidence and EU Product Policy, Energy-using Products (EuP) are a priority product category. EuPs are a category of non-transport related products, which are significant energy users and sold in high volumes in the EU. Examples include:

  • heating and lighting
  • electric motors
  • domestic and office appliances
  • consumer electronics
  • air conditioners

In line with the EU Eco-design of EuP Directive, environmental performance improvements will be required for EuPs, including lighting products, over a phased period.


Scope of the roadmap

The lighting roadmap currently focuses on internal domestic lighting and covers: lamps, lamp ballasts, light fittings and lighting controls.

Commercial and street lighting are outside the scope of the roadmap, as is external domestic lighting (such as garden lighting).

Improving sustainability

We will develop actions to address the sustainability impacts that occur across domestic lighting life cycle, where evidence shows this would be most effective.

In developing the lighting roadmap, we are keen to work collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders.

  • looking to the future, we can expect further advances in lighting technologies.
  • light emitting diodes (LEDs), for example, will potentially provide high efficiency, low cost, long life alternative for a range of ordinary, decorative and reflector bulbs.

Current activities

A report detailing the current status of the roadmap has been prepared to coincide with the publication of the Progress Report on Sustainable Products and Materials.

Impacts

The key impacts associated with lighting include resource depletion (including precious metals in limited supply and fossil fuels), greenhouse gas emissions, and end of life waste (including hazardous waste).

Environmental impacts:
  • 18 TWh consumed in 2005, predicted to rise to 21 TWh by 2020
  • 9 MtCO2 emitted in 2005
  • compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use approximately 25 percent of the energy used by an incandescent lamp to produce the same light
  • disposal of lamps at end of life is also an issue, particularly for CFLs, which contain mercury
Consumption trends
  • currently an average of 23.5 lights in each house in the UK - this is expected to increase
  • there has been a healthy growth in the number of CFLs replacing less efficient tungsten filament lamps. However, this has been partly offset by the current trend for tungsten halogen lighting.1

Further information

 

1 Source: Market Transformation Programme

 

Page last modified: 10 July 2008

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs