Environmental Sustainability

Modern off-grid lighting devices that use light emitting diodes (LED) or fluorescent tubes are a promising, low cost alternative to fuel-based lighting.  These lamps have the potential to provide sustainable, reliable modern off-grid lighting at an affordable price, in turn delivering socio-economic, environmental, and public health benefits to users in Sub Saharan Africa and beyond.  However, as all technological innovations bear an environmental cost, Lighting Africa is in the process of formulating a program to determine the environmental impact associated with the influx of modern lighting products that will accompany the emergence of the lighting market in Africa.  

The Lighting Africa Environmental Sustainability program works to ensure that safeguards are in place to protect the environment from ecological harm associated with the entire lifecycle of products, from "cradle to grave," from component manufacture to disposal practices once their useful life has ended.  

Examples of environmental sustainability issues Lighting Africa seeks to address:

• Component Lifecycle Analysis-Minimizing the negative environmental impact of off-grid lighting components (batteries, light fixtures, housings, etc.) on the environment, from manufacture of raw materials, through assembly, distribution, use, and disposal.
• Component Disposal, for example waste management/ recycling of batteries and hazardous materials such as waste recycling the hazardous materials contained within  

“Mercury is a recognized developmental toxicant (Environmental Defense, 2005). The nervous system is very sensitive to mercury; brain and kidney damage can result from mercury exposure (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1995-2008).”

• Recycling/Take Back Programs