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With the declaration of the Climate Emergency, helping the planet in any means possible should be at the forefront of everyone’s minds. Any change will help - no matter how small, even changing the way you brighten your home can make a substantial difference. This is where LED lighting takes the reins.

Continue reading to find out how you can give the planet a helping hand with eco-friendly LED lights…

Every product we use directly impacts the environment. This is why we need to ensure we are all making conscious decisions going forward. Each and every one of us has a ‘Carbon Footprint’ at varying degrees depending on how environmentally-friendly you live your life.

It is understandable that in modern society people have become accustomed to day-to-day life without having to make a concerted effort to reduce their carbon footprint. However, this has to change. More and more studies have hit the spotlight highlighting the effects modern tech has had on the planet. A recent study from the UN shows us that we have as little as 12 years before the damages to the climate we have caused are essentially irreversible.

Despite this, why are we - an LED company, bringing this to light? The simple answer is that LEDs are the energy-efficient solution to illuminating any home, office, or commercial space. They have the power to decrease your personal carbon footprint, your energy consumption and even save you money.

Why Use LED Lighting

LED bulbs and fittings are by far the most energy-efficient option, knocking old-fashioned bulbs off of the market. This is because they use up to 90% less electricity compared to a halogen bulb. Using less energy then decreases the demand from power plants, in turn reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Not only will this aid the environment, but the potential savings are monumental. This is because the bulbs will convert the majority of its’ electricity consumption to producing high-quality LED light. Just a small percentage will be wasted in the form of heat, leaving them relatively cool to the touch. Halogens and incandescent bulbs however, convert just a small amount of energy to producing light, with around 80% being lost as heat. This is highly inefficient, and rather wasteful.

Speaking of wasteful, how many incandescent bulbs do you go through? With an average lifespan of just 2000 hours, it is safe to say that you will end up purchasing many of these bulbs. This being said, LED bulbs have a proven lifespan of up to 50,000 hours, 25x that of an incandescent. By decreasing the demand for the number of bulbs, less will need to be produced – again having great effects on the environment.

Extra Benefits To The Environment

Most commercial premises use fluorescent tube lights which are both poor in energy conservation, and contain a range of toxic chemicals. A large portion of the elements included are mercury. When damaged, this can be released into the environment causing ecological harm. This means that the disposal of these bulbs can be particularly tricky. More often than not, they end up in landfill sites, releasing the mercury regardless.

LED lights, on the other hand, are 100% recyclable. This ensures that once their incredible lifespan is finally over, they can be recycled and reused. What makes this process that little bit easier is the fact that they contain zero harmful chemicals.

Making little changes to your life, even down to switching what light bulbs you use, can have a huge impact. Switching to LEDs will benefit you also, so it is a no brainer really.

A study has shown us that if every UK household was to replace just one bulb in their home with an LED, the difference would equate to 447 million trees being planted.

For more information on other small lifestyle changes, check out the blog from WWF all about reducing your everyday impact on the environment.

If you have any more questions regarding us, our products, or how LEDs help the planet, feel free to get in touch. We can be contacted on 0116 321 4120, or you can send us an email to cs@wled.co.uk.

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