EU CHANGES
NEW EU ENERGY LABELS CAME INTO EFFECT AT THE START OF SEPTEMBER - IRISH LIGHTING COMPANY SOLUS OUTLINES WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW… NewEUenergy labels –what is changing?
A brand-new version of the widely recognised EU energy label for light bulbs and light sources became applicable in all Irish shops and online retailers from September 1, with an 18-month transition period for products already on the market. Solus, one of Ireland’s leading lighting manufacturers, hosted a webinar earlier this year presented by broadcaster Jonathan Healy with a panel of experts from government and compliance bodies including Minister Pippa Hackett, SEAI Programme Manager Tim Stokes and Elizabeth O’Reilly, Environmental Compliance & Membership Manager for WEEE Ireland. The webinar aimed to bring clarity to what this new legislation entails, what timelines are in place and how the industry and its retailers can be compliant. According to the panel, the most important change is a return to a simple A-G scale on energy labels. This has been done because more and more products are now achieving ratings as A, A+ or A++ according to the current scale, causing confusion for consumers. The new energy label will leave empty energy efficiency classes at the top of the scale for advancing technologies and to encourage manufacturers to develop more energy efficient products. SEAI Programme Manager Tim Stokes said, “The energy labelling regulation
for light sources and its sister regulation relating to eco-design will have an estimated combined energy saving of 42 terawatt hours per annum by 2030.” QR codes A further significant change is the introduction of a QR code. By scanning the QR-code, consumers can find
year in 2019 and 38,000 tonnes of electrical waste was taken back from landfill for use in manufacturing again.” The extensive new EU regulations are the result of nearly five years of negotiations and it will be mandatory for all manufacturers and retailers to comply. The new rules consist of the Single Lighting Regulation (SLR) and the Energy Labelling Regulation (ELR). “We are in a time of transition to tackle climate change and create a new green economy. It is important that this change happens at a political level, at a corporate level and at a consumer level,” said Minister Pippa Hackett as she commended Solus on taking a proactive approach to sustainability and the new regulations. Solus welcomed these new regulations, which are in line with their Planet First sustainability programme. The new energy labels will give clarity on energy efficiency for consumers and also ensure that businesses continue to innovate. See www.solus.ie The full Solus webinar is available to watch at https://bit.ly/2S8BYI2
additional information about the product model. By law, all energy labelled products on the EU market have to be registered in a new EU-wide database - European Product Registry for Energy Labels (EPREL). Eco-design rules are mandatory for almost all lamps sold in the EU. From September 1, the existing rules will be repealed and replaced to include circular economy requirements. According to Elizabeth O Reilly from WEEE Ireland, “3.2 million light bulbs were recycled in Ireland in their last full recorded
Pack mock up with new EU Energy Label applicable in all shops and online retailers since September 1.
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