Wholesaler Guide
Understanding environmental metrics for lighting
Flavie Lowres, environmental metrics manager at Recolight, explains the environmental metrics relevant to lighting and their practical implications for electrical wholesalers.
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roduct sustainability has become a critical focus in the lighting industry, driven by evolving regulations,
building certifi cation schemes such as BREEAMand Ska and increasing customer expectations.
Manufacturers are now tasked with demonstrating their environmental responsibility through various metrics and standards. Understanding frameworks such as TM66, TM65, and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) enables electrical wholesalers to provide informed advice and ask pertinent questions when sourcing, stocking, and recommending lighting products.
TM66: Assessing Circularity in Lighting Products
Developed by the Society of Light and Lighting (SLL), TM66 provides a framework for evaluating how well lighting products adhere to circular economy principles. It assigns a score from 0 to 4, refl ecting a product’s design for disassembly, use of recycled materials, and potential for repair and remanufacturing. Advantages: • Off ers a quick and cost-eff ective assessment method.
• Encourages manufacturers to consider whole-life value in design.
Limitations: • Mostly relevant to the UK market. Self- certifi ed.
• A single score may oversimplify complex environmental impacts.
• While TM66 serves as a valuable starting point, it should be complemented with more comprehensive assessments when comparing options for major refurbishments or portfolio-wide upgrades.
TM65.2: Calculating Embodied Carbon in Lighting
TM65.2 focuses on estimating the embodied carbon of lighting products—the emissions associated with raw materials, manufacturing, transportation, and end-of-life processes. As
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the UK grid becomes greener, operational carbon footprints decrease, making embodied carbon a more signifi cant factor in a product’s environmental impact. Advantages: • Provides a straightforward calculation using representative conversion factors.
• Facilitates comparison between products based on embodied carbon.
• Utilises real data on materials and component masses.
Limitations: • Mostly relevant to the UK market. • Self-certifi ed. • Focuses solely on carbon, omitting other environmental factors.
• Off ers a high-level approximation rather than precise measurements.
• TM65 serves as an accessible entry point for organisations beginning to assess environmental impact at the product level, and it can support early-stage options appraisal, procurement conversations, and carbon reporting.
Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)
An Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is a standardised document that is used to communicate the environmental profi le of a product, as calculated using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach in accordance with ISO14040 and 14044. LCA is a method used to measure the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle stages, from raw materials extraction to end of life (often referred to as cradle to gate or cradle to grave). EPD of electronic goods also report the impact of the energy consumption in use. EPDs are verifi ed by a third party to ensure accuracy and compliance with international standards and are increasingly used across the built environment, helping procurement teams compare products on a like- for-like basis. Advantages: • Provides transparent, comparable data on environmental impacts.
• Enhances credibility through third-party verifi cation.
• Aligns with potential future regulatory requirements in the construction sector. • Internationally recognised Limitations: • Higher cost due to third-party verifi cation • Hard to compare products. • Data-heavy to the untrained eye.
EPDs are considered the most accurate and thorough method for assessing the environmental performances of products. EPDs off er a reliable way for companies to communicate their products’ environmental performance, aiding in informed decision-making for specifi ers and buyers. EPD provides results for the carbon footprint of a product (Global Warming Potential total (GWP total) expressed in kgCO2
eq) and many other indicators. EPD should be carried out in accordance with BS EN15804:2019+A2 (or BS ISO 21930 if created outside Europe) and BS ISO14025.
How wholesalers can leverage sustainability metrics
Electrical wholesalers are ideally placed to drive the adoption of sustainable lighting solutions. By understanding metrics like TM66, TM65, LCAs, and EPDs, and communicating their benefi ts to customers, wholesalers can strengthen their reputation and expand their market reach. Sustainability is here to stay in the UK lighting industry. Electrical wholesalers who embrace this shift, invest in knowledge, and support their customers in making environmentally responsible choices will be well positioned for future growth. By understanding and leveraging key metrics and standards, wholesalers can become true partners in the drive towards a greener future.
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