Signify Innovations, the world leader in lighting, is actively striving for a reduction of the environmental impact of its products. As part of its packaging policy, Signify already uses 80% recycled paper for its packaging and will now start phasing out all plastics from packaging for consumer-related products with the aim to be plastic-free in 2021.
The lighting major looks deeply concerned with the fact that each year, eight million tons of plastic end up in the oceans, killing one million marine birds and threatening hundreds of marine life species. Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues and consumers are increasingly critical of the packaging of products that they buy.
By phasing out plastic used for consumer product packaging, Signify will avoid the use of over 2,500 tonnes of plastics per year. This is equal to 125 million PET bottles which, placed in a row, would stretch more than 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles), roughly the distance from Tromsø in the north of Norway, to Gibraltar at the southern tip of the Iberian peninsula, and back. This is based on Signify’s own calculations using PET bottles of 0.5 liters.
On top of that, Signify’s new packaging is smaller, reducing carbon emissions from transport and the materials it uses by 6,000 tons per year – equivalent to the amount of CO2 that 2,70,000 fully grown trees can absorb in a year, considering that one tree can sequester 22 kilograms of CO2 per year.
“Plastic waste has a very negative impact on our planet and its biodiversity and we decided that we must take a leading role and start using plastic-free alternatives. It is the right thing to do and meets the increasing expectations of our customers,” said Eric Rondolat, CEO of Signify. “I look forward to the moment that we can announce that we no longer use plastics in our packaging.”
On average, Signify’s packaging policy already requires all packaging to contain more than 80% recycled paper and virgin materials must be from certified renewable sources. In cases where paper-based materials aren’t applicable, Signify looks into other non-plastic alternatives. Signify has already started the phase-out of plastic by removing commonly used plastic inserts from Philips Hue bulb packaging.
It has also selected paper foam to package the recently launched Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box. Replacing blister packs with paper-based box packaging will be sequenced across our product portfolio and different regions, starting with LED bulbs in Europe in the third quarter of 2020, and the rest of the world following from the start of 2021.
Signify already started replacing the plastic blister packaging for its LED lamps with paper-based materials in the Pacific, where the switch was received very positively and resulted in an increase in sales.
“When we replaced our packaging in the Pacific region, customers said that it was more appealing and environmentally friendly,” Rondolat added. “I call upon other companies to join us in making the switch and will gladly share our lessons learned.”
According to Rondolat, phasing out plastics is a further way we are driving sustainability in our business and another milestone alongside our Brighter Lives, Better World sustainability program. “We are on track to achieve carbon neutrality globally this year and already achieved carbon neutrality in 15 of our 19 markets. We were recognised in 2019 by being named Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the third year in a row.”
