Signify, a leading global sustainability leader, has announced the world’s first service for consumers that allows them to tailor and order luminaires (lamp shade and light) online, have them 3D printed from recyclable material and later delivered to their doorsteps within two weeks.

The company also announced it is using recycled material to 3D print with, starting with used CDs, and launched a Philips-branded LED table lamp made from 24 recycled CDs.

The move comes following a pilot project in the Benelux, a politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.

Signify said it was expanding its consumer service across Europe. With just a few clicks, the  customers can design their own decorative luminaire.

"Simply select your base design, then personalize it, choosing the size, color, texture and pattern of the luminaire and the type of LED bulb, including Philips Hue bulbs. Signify delivers the finished product to your door within two weeks," said a company spokesman.

According to him, Signify’s 3D printed luminaires were built with sustainability in mind.

"The base material is a polycarbonate that is strong, high-quality and 100% recyclable. A typical manufactured luminaire, excluding the electronics and bulb, has a 47% lower carbon footprint than a traditionally built metal luminaire. Furthermore, no glue is used and they have fewer parts," he stated.

"They are two-thirds of the weight of a conventional luminaire, which translates to a 35% carbon emission saving when shipping," he added.

Signify pointed out that its investment in 3D printing further illustrates the company’s commitment to better serving its customers while reducing their, and its own, carbon footprint.

“This is the first mass-market service that allows you to tailor your own sustainable lighting aesthetic. And being online, it could easily be integrated into third-party web stores giving consumers more choice,” remarked Khalid Aziz, the head of ventures at Signify.

“It’s another world first in lighting and illustrates how we lead the way in serving customers all over the world with the most innovative and sustainable lighting technologies,” he added.

According to him, Signify has also started using polycarbonate string made from recycled material.
"The first product to use it is a Philips LED table lamp which uses 24 recycled CDs in its construction," revealed Aziz.

"Available from today, it costs €99 ($109) in Europe. In the course of next year, Signify expects that all its 3D printed products will be available using recycled material and have global availability," he stated.

“Philips and Sony introduced the CD to the world in the early 1980s. Now, we’re honoring that legacy by creating high-quality, beautiful decorative lamps by reusing this iconic technology,” he added.

Signify also unveiled major international expansion plans for 3D printing bespoke and tailored luminaires for professional customers. The professional products can be recycled at their end of life, it stated.

In 2018, 79% of Signify’s sales comprised sustainable revenues. The company is committed to be carbon neutral in 2020 and was recently named Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the third year in a row, it added.-TradeArabia News Service