Design for Recyclability of WEEE

A case study on Signify’s Coreline office luminaire

Master thesis (2024)

Authors

M.L.M. Laan Industrial Design Engineering

Contributors

Conny A. Bakker Design for Sustainability - IDE (mentor)
D.C. van Dolderen Design for Sustainability - IDE (mentor)
Faculty
Industrial Design Engineering
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Published Date

23-07-2024

Language

English

Reuse Rights

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Abstract

The existing CoreLine office luminaire has been redesigned for improved recycling. Shredding experiments have shed light on the recyclability of the current product. The main issues have been identified and are solved in the proposed redesign.

Besides improved recyclability, the proposed redesign offers additional benefits to Signify. Replacing the steel of the backplate and the aluminum of the frame by polystyrene is expected to significantly reduce the cost price of the product. Also, moving away from metals can make Signify less vulnerable to potential metal scarcity in the future.

An important challenge in further development of the concept is the issue of flame retardants and their impact on recyclability of the product. Given that the intention of redesigning the CoreLine luminaire was to improve its recyclability, it would be a shame if the redesigned product would actually be worse for recycling due to flame retardants. A range of directions to address this problem have been proposed.

Lastly, a set of guidelines have been created which serve to aid designers in designing recyclable luminaires. These guidelines are based on all the learnings acquired throughout the project regarding component connection and material selection.