Material balance assessment of LED road luminaries and provision of sustainability training.
Brief
- Respond to the public administration’s requests during the tender phase to identify the efficient use of resources used in the manufacture, maintenance and end-of-life of luminaires.
- Raise awareness of environmental sustainability and life cycle analysis (LCA) among company staff.
Project challenge
to draw up a material balance of products with heterogeneous components and initiate a sustainability engagement process for a major lighting sector industrial company.
Solution
a material balance of LED road luminaries was developed in accordance with applicable reference standards and guidelines. A day of face-to-face training was also carried out for various key figures in the company.
Execution phases
Collection of inventory data concerning the assembly, maintenance and end-of-life phases of each luminaire.
Data processing for classification into macro-categories (components) and material types.
Assessments of the weight and quantities of each component and the percentage of total packaging for each device.
Classification of the end of life of each component based on its composition and CER identification code.
Drafting of a technical paper (material balance sheet document) and delivery with debriefing to the client.
Design of a 4-hour course (frontal lesson) aimed at company staff, during which the engagement process of the key figures towards sustainability issues, life cycle analysis, environmental certifications and labelling, comparison benchmark with competitors.
Achieved results
The material balance assessment made it possible to evaluate the efficient use of the material resources used throughout the luminaries’ life cycle. It also produced a technical report to be presented to the contracting authority as a guarantee of compliance with the Minimum Environmental Criteria (MECs) for the “procurement of light sources for public lighting, the procurement of public lighting luminaires and the awarding of the design contracts for public lighting systems”. In addition, sensitising staff to the results of the material balance and to the main issues of environmental sustainability and LCA proved useful in initiating a process aimed at refining the company’s perception of these issues, comparing them with sector benchmarks and evaluating possible improvements in design and promotional practices.