Green Good Design Awards Tell a friend

Designers: Glen Oross, RAB Industrial Design Team, RAB Lighting, Inc., New York, New York, USA
Manufacturer: RAB Lighting, Inc., New York, New York, USA

STRIP is an indoor LED “wrap” fixture (shining most light down, and a small amount up around the sides). STRIP is used predominantly in commercial or industrial buildings. STRIP’s design focuses heavily on sustainability, with great care given to material choice, size reduction, and packaging. In addition to being an ecofriendly product, STRIP totes an innovative solution for shipping longer length SKUs, and has offers an optimized user experience. STRIP is made with an inner galvanized steel frame frame—using less metal than an entirely steel body and resulting in a lighter weight product. 

The steel is recyclable and durable enough that a secondary material coating is not needed. The metal frame creates the durability the brand’s products are known for, passes electrical safety requirements, and allows for the decorative top housing to be made from a new environmentally friendly bioplastic—composed with ground shell and hemp. STRIP was designed to be as compact as possible and is 60% smaller than the product it replaces, using 50% less aluminum. 

STRIP contributes to an impressive line of products which help to reduce the company’s overall carbon footprint. By decreasing overall product size and weight, less resources are needed in manufacturing and shipping. On average, the company’s new products are 43% smaller and 42% lighter than previous generations. Per year, this saves 85 tons of CO2, and 2130 tons of aluminum—enough material to produce 30 Bowing-747 planes! To further reduce product SKUs, GUS is field-adjustable; a single product can meet a wider variety of consumer needs. STRIP’s packaging is also sustainable. 

The fixture is shipped with recycled cardboard boxes, pulp and composite fillers, and nonwoven, bamboo fiber fabric sleeves. STRIP’s packaging contains no EPE foam or plastic bags. STRIP can be shipped in a smaller package, which uses less material, due to the product’s reduced size. As a result, more units can fit in a single cargo container, and are thus transported more efficiently. Effort to reduce material consumption is also evident by STRIP’s paperless installation instructions, which are accessed digitally, via QR code. During shipping, the eight-foot version of STRIP is folded into two four-foot segments. 

The two connected pieces transform into a solid unit with a hinge, and simple, innovative locking mechanism. Shipping the product in four-foot lengths is more convenient, lowers shipping cost, and reduced the possibility of the long, thin STRIP being damaged in transit. Additionally, STRIP has an optimized installation experience, thanks to an elegant living hinge on one side of the fixture. Technicians can open the product for easy wiring access, without any cumbersome loose parts. STRIP’s simplified install process has less steps than competitors and can be completed faster—saving headaches and labor costs.