i10 has awarded the region's first ‘Low Carbon Voucher' to Lumie, Europe's leading supplier of light therapy devices to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and circadian rhythm disorders. The award, funded by the East of England's European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), will help Lumie to minimise its carbon and environmental footprint and ultimately achieve ISO14001 accreditation. The voucher worth £1000 will help support an expert team from the University of Hertfordshire to work with Lumie on ways it can cut its carbon emissions and reduce its impact on the environment.

Lumie designs its products, all of which are certified as medical devices, in the United Kingdom . The devices are currently manufactured to order in China and sold in the UK, Europe and North America.  The voucher will help fund a team from the university's School of Automotive and Aerospace Design to carry out a detailed study of how Lumie can reduce its environmental impact. This could involve better management of waste, reducing the carbon footprint of transport from China, more effective waste management processes and so on.

 

According to Catherine Lees, Voucher Scheme Administrator for i10, "We are delighted that the ERDF-funded scheme has got off the ground. The award to Lumie shows our commitment to supporting companies that are keen to tap into our huge reservoir of university expertise in the field of carbon and environmental management. The work carried out by the university will help Lumie to achieve its goals of cutting its carbon footprint and preparing for ISO14001 accreditation."

 

Working with Lumie is a win-win for the University of Hertfordshire says Keith I Bevis, Business Manager, School of Aerospace Automotive and Design Engineering University of Hertfordshire: "Lumie are looking to qualify for ISO14001 and the i10 Low Carbon Voucher Scheme provides them with ideal support, Lumie will receive the advice on how to prepare for ISO14001 certification, and which key issues they will have to address. The result will be that Lumie will enter into an on-going commitment to minimising its environmental impact, whilst maintaining its year-on-year record of growth. The academics providing the advice will in turn have case study material for teaching on environmental programmes, supporting the next generation of Masters students. There is a cross-fertilisation of ideas between industry and the university. Students benefit from that interaction."

 

Peter Bicknell, a director of Lumie, also welcomes the voucher award, "We are a thriving company of some 25 employees committed to consumer healthcare. As an ethical company, we are concerned that further growth could result in pushing up our carbon footprint. We want to avoid this and find ways to actually cut our impact on the planet. The expert team from the University of Hertfordshire will help us do this and prepare for ISO14001 accreditation, the ‘gold standard' for ethical and environmentally-aware businesses."

 

Find out more about the £1k low carbon voucher scheme, call 0845 234 2314 or email lowcarbon@i10.org.uk