Circularity as an opportunity – featured in MAGAZIN

Studio De Schutter is featured in MAGAZIN 1/2026/2027 with an interview with Sabine De Schutter on the future of sustainable and circular lighting design. Under the title “Zirkularität ist eine große Chance” (“Circularity is a major opportunity”), the article explores why truly sustainable lighting goes far beyond energy-efficient LEDs.

In the interview, Sabine De Schutter explains why existing luminaires should increasingly be treated as valuable resources rather than disposable products. Reusing, repairing and upgrading lighting systems can significantly extend their service life while reducing the need for new materials. For lighting designers, this means considering maintainability, replaceable components and future adaptability from the very beginning of a project.

A key topic is the importance of looking at the entire life cycle of a product. Energy efficiency alone does not make a luminaire sustainable. Material sourcing, production, repairability, transport, service life and end-of-life scenarios all need to be considered. The article also addresses the risk of greenwashing when sustainability is reduced to energy consumption while these wider impacts remain ignored.

Studio De Schutter also advocates for a more conscious approach to the actual need for artificial light. Daylight analysis can help determine where additional lighting is genuinely required and where it can be avoided altogether. The aim is not simply to install more efficient luminaires, but to create lighting concepts that use resources intelligently and only where they add real value.

The interview also looks at the practical challenges of circular lighting design, including certification, warranties, spare parts and the availability of components. At the same time, developments such as digital product passports could make materials, components, repair options and environmental impacts increasingly transparent and help establish more circular processes within the lighting industry.

👉 Featured in MAGAZIN 1/2026/2027: “Zirkularität ist eine große Chance”