News & Products
A LIGHT BULB MOMENT New energy labels are coming into effect for light bulbs to bring EU consumers a better understanding of their carbon footprint and energy consumption. Leading Irish lighting company Solus outline here what exactly is changing when the mandatory new European Commission energy labelling regulations come into effect on September 1st, 2021. A brand-new version of the widely-recognised EU energy label for light bulbs and light sources will be applicable in all shops and online retailers from September 1st 2021 with an 18-month transition period for products already on the market. On May 20th, Solus hosted an informative webinar presented by broadcaster Jonathan Healy with a panel of experts from Government and compliance bodies including Minister of State for Agriculture with responsibility for land use and biodiversity, Pippa Hackett, SEAI Programme Manager Tim Stokes and Elizabeth O’Reilly, Environmental Compliance & Membership Manager for WEEE Ireland. The webinar brought clarity on exactly what this new legislation entails, what timelines are in place, and how the industry and its retailers can be compliant. The full webinar is available on YouTube from @soluslightbulbs. The most important change is a return to a simple A-G scale on energy labels. More and more products are now achieving
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ratings as A, A+ or A++ according to the current scale and this is causing confusion for consumers. The new energy label will leave empty energy efficiency classes at the top of the scale for advancing technologies and to encourage manufacturers to develop more energy efficient products. A further significant change is the introduction of a QR code. By scanning the QR-code, consumers can find additional information about the product model. By law, all energy labelled products on the EU market have to be registered in a new EU-wide database European Product Registry for Energy Labels (EPREL). The extensive new EU regulations are the result of nearly five years of negotiations and it will be mandatory for all manufacturers and retailers to comply. The new rules consist of the Single Lighting Regulation (SLR) and the Energy Labelling Regulation (ELR). Solus welcomes these new regulations which are in line with their progressive Planet First sustainability programme. The new energy labels will give clarity on energy efficiency for consumers and also ensure that businesses continue to innovate. For more information visit www.solus.ie
GROWING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH International Tool Industries (ITI) is growing from strength to strength in the Irish Hardware and Merchanting Sector. They are entering their fourth year in business and achieving great success with their hand tool and power tool sales to many independent stores and buying group members nationwide. From their very first day entering this challenging market, they have shown true determination to succeed. The key to their success was to build strong relationships with a very loyal customer base by providing a reliable delivery service supported by a 98% product pick rate, even during the pandemic. Don O’Toole (General Manager) says, “We weren’t sure what way business was going to develop during the pandemic period since May 2020, but we were pleasantly surprised that the demand for all tool types was unprecedented. We were also fortunate enough to have ample amounts of stocks available, which we believe won us a lot of business. We received many comments complimenting our stock availability and service levels, during this time”. The company remain confident that they will continue to build new relationships, support existing ones and provide a first-class service with their full range of products available in the years to come. Further information from www.internationaltoolindustries.com July/August 2021
