Designing for Circularity: TM66 Assured Certification for our GOLF and SELEST Ranges

We know sustainability is important to electrical contractors. How? Well, you tell us! We hold regular customer visits at the ROBUS HQ in Dublin, where electrical contractors get to see what we do in real-time, from New Product Development to Quality Control in our LAB to Customised Conversions. During these visits, we are often asked (maybe even, cross-examined!) whether our product parts are easy to replace and how long they last.

As a global organisation, we are committed to our responsibility to work and act in the best interests of all the markets we operate, striving for a circular economy approach. That’s why taking part in the TM66 Assured Product Verification Scheme was a no-brainer for us. Wondering what TM66 has to do with sustainability? Keep reading!

What is TM66?

TM66 document was written and published by CIBSE with support from the LIA, the TM66 assured certification scheme is an LIA initiative. TM66 is a guidance document to promote circular economy principles within the lighting sector. TM66 has four key objectives:

• Promoting Sustainable Design
• Ensuring Material Traceability
• Encouraging Repair and Reuse
• Enabling Responsible Recycling

Verifying Lighting Manufacturers’ Circularity Processes with TM66 Assured

Guidance is great, but verification is what sets the standard - that’s what the TM66 Assured Product Verification Scheme is all about. This scheme adds an additional layer of credibility and verification to the already comprehensive TM66 toolkit.

Through engagement with the TM66 Assured Scheme, lighting manufacturers can obtain independent verification of their circularity assertions. This validation procedure guarantees that the ratings offered by manufacturers for their lighting fixtures are accurate, unbiased, and standardised.

Submitting GOLF and SELEST for TM66 Assured

We design our products to be durable and long-lasting. To start our TM66 Assured journey, we thought of two product ranges that would be applicable for this certification: GOLF and SELEST.

GOLF: The Surface Fitting with Modular Design

Modular design refers to a product design strategy that involves creating a complete product by assembling smaller, independent components. This approach promotes recycling and decreases landfill waste by making it easier to disassemble and reuse parts. Our GOLF surface fitting features a modular design, making it highly customisable. It offers the option to add a microwave sensor, dual power for enhanced background lighting, and an emergency pack.

SELEST: The Ultra-Durable Floodlight

Our SELEST range is built to last. Crowned with tough tempered glass to ensure a high impact rating and designed for longevity with a self-regulating valve to prevent moisture condensation, our SELEST range offers super robust floodlights. Also boasting an exceptionally high efficacy of 123Lm/W - 162Lm/W, SELEST corresponds with sustainable design standards.

Using the Circular Economy Assessment Method

To submit these products for certification, particular product details were required in specified formats. One of these is CEAM, the Circular Economy Assessment Method, which is used to assess the circular economy qualifications of lighting products throughout the supply chain.

In practice, the assessment is broken down into parts such as product design, manufacturing, materials, and ecosystem and, for each part, there are specific questions, examples, and evidence required to inform the overall scoring system.

Required documents for submitting to TM66 Assured:

• Completed CEAM
• Any referenced evidence used to complete CEAM
• All product instructions & product packaging
• Complete product

A big shout out to our Compliance Engineer, Eoin Mulligan, who has undergone comprehensive training with LIA to conduct TM66 Assured assessments and plays a pivotal role in our sustainability initiatives!

The Results

We successfully submitted both products for certification and were delighted to receive our results. Both GOLF and SELEST achieved a fantastic score of 1.8 which is defined as showing definite/substantial progress towards circularity.

We are proud to have achieved such strong results in our first engagement with this certification. Moreover, the insights gained from this process will now be integrated into our new product designs to further improve the circularity of every one of our new products.

Another Step in Our Continuous Sustainability Journey

TM66 Assured has been a great achievement for GOLF and SELEST, but this is only the beginning. Our New Product Development team are taking this to the next level by incorporating TM66 and CEAM standards into our product development process from the very beginning. If you take one thing away from this blog let it be this – keep telling us what’s important to you, because that’s what’s important to us!