Circularity
Modularity goes beyond the vast applications of the products we manufacture. We design consciously and in a way that contributes to a circular economy. We look to prolong the life of all our products and make sure that the end of their life cycle is part of the beginning of something else.
Zero waste to landfill program
Thanks to our Zero Waste to Landfill program, we ensure that all the waste we create can be recycled or incinerated under controlled circumstances. We have achieved this by establishing a good collaboration with several waste collectors and the use of 16 waste streams to help us sort our waste.
Plastic-free packaging program
Cardboard and polyethylene are the most popular packaging materials used by several manufacturing companies around the world. Although polyethylene is a 100% recyclable material, we have committed to phase it out completely from our packaging. Our products launched in October 2020 were the first to be packed with no single-use plastics. We reached our absolute goal of making sure that no package with plastics is shipped from our warehouse to our customers or partners, by the end of 2021. This means that current polyethylene packaging is switched to paper or cardboard.
Examples of these changes are the use of paper tape instead of plastic, cardboard rather than foam corner protectors, and recycled paper filler instead of bubble wrap.
On top of that we do not use single-use plastics anymore in our internal processes (production and warehouse sites).
RoHS and REACH compliance
The safety and health of our people as well as the impact of our actions and products on the environment are a big priority at MLI NA Corporation. Therefore, we comply with the EU guidelines established by RoHS and REACH. For example, products entering our facilities are thoroughly checked by our Safety Department to make sure that no hazardous substances are present and that our employees can safely work with them. Instructions are given to people handling them. For our raw materials and electrical materials, our Quality Department carries out a quarterly audit to check that they also comply with these guidelines.
Circular product design and modularity
Modularity has always been part of our DNA since the beginning. Over time, we have also witnessed how modularity goes beyond the ability to choose and configure our products in interiors. Modularity also has a huge positive impact on the environment, in particular when a product has reached the end of its life cycle.
In general, a luminaire consists of 4 main building blocks: the light source (LED), electronics (driver, driver circuits, heat sink, etc.), optics (lens or reflector) and the housing (the design). Where possible, apart from the LED itself and the electronic parts, we use durable materials such as steel, aluminum, glass, etc. Since 2015, we have decided to follow a circular product design approach in product development: MODULAR-ITY.
This means that when working on new products we keep the following goals in mind:
- Give products the longest lifetime possible
The modularity in our products means that one design can be used in the same space, for several purposes over a very long period. Our minimalist and timeless designs are conceived to be enjoyed a lifetime. - Make designs that last
We do this by choosing only high-quality materials and finishes that are put through extensive testing in our lab. - Make products easy to repair
In the unfortunate case that something breaks or malfunctions, we want to make sure that only faulty components are replaced and not the entire unit. - Make products easy to disassemble
We ensure that our products are engineered in such a way that they can easily be disassembled for repair, and that the parts that can be recycled can be sorted at the end of a product’s life.
So all in all, bringing the Modularity design principle in practice makes our luminaires:
- Easy to maintain by electricians or consumers, or to repair by our in-house team
- Easy to upgrade or expand, even when already installed
- Easy to re-assemble or disassemble thanks to how parts are designed, and to the components and materials we use. We seldom use glue and/or tape.
- Easily recyclable in their final lifecycle stage
Why we choose durable materials
The use of durable materials like aluminum and glass has several benefits versus other cheaper alternatives, such as plastic. They are highly durable and retain their quality over time. They look and feel more premium. But most importantly, they are infinitely recyclable materials.
For example, aluminum is 100% recyclable and, quite exceptionally, does not lose its properties during recycling, thus making it an eco-friendly option for environmentally conscious businesses. Moreover, the production process of recycling aluminum consumes 95% less energy than producing new aluminum from raw material (bauxite).
All great reasons why we have chosen aluminum as the base material for most of our products. On average, 60% (weight percentage) of the MLI NA Corporation product range is aluminum.