By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : April 14, 2026 1:25 pm
At the center of the project is Trinseo’s CALIBRE ECO DI, a high-grade polycarbonate developed with up to 75% recycled content derived from lighting waste
In a major step toward true circular lighting, Trinseo and Signify have teamed up to transform end-of-life streetlight shades into high-performance new lampshades—using advanced dissolution recycling to keep materials in circulation instead of sending them to incineration or landfill.
Across Europe, cities are rapidly upgrading streetlighting systems, generating thousands of discarded polycarbonate lampshades every year. Traditionally, these components are difficult to recycle due to contamination and complex material requirements.
The result: most are burned or buried. This new collaboration aims to change that.
At the center of the project is Trinseo’s CALIBRE ECO DI, a high-grade polycarbonate developed with up to 75% recycled content derived from lighting waste. The material is engineered specifically for optical applications, where strict requirements for color consistency and light transmission must be maintained.
From waste to high-performance material
The initiative builds on Signify’s growing innovation platform, Signify myCreation, which explores rapid, small-batch production using advanced materials and 3D printing. The goal: prove that lighting waste can become lighting again—without quality compromise.
The material journey is tightly controlled end-to-end:
Collection: End-of-life streetlight shades are collected across the Netherlands and sent to Heathland Recycling Solutions in Utrecht for traceable sorting
Recycling: Materials are processed at Trinseo’s Terneuzen facility using dissolution recycling, which separates and purifies high-quality recycled polycarbonate
Compounding: The recovered polymer is transformed into CALIBRE™ ECO DI optical-grade granules
Manufacturing: Signify myCreation converts the granules into filament for 3D printing new pendant lampshades
Trinseo has been developing dissolution recycling for years, reaching pilot scale in 2025 at its Terneuzen site, with plans for full industrial deployment in China. The project reflects a broader push to scale high-purity recycling for demanding applications like lighting, where material quality is critical.
The partnership also builds on a long-standing technical relationship between the two companies, which have previously co-developed high-performance plastics such as polycarbonate, PMMA, and ABS for lighting applications.
From pilot innovation to product launch
Strong extrusion and printing performance have already enabled the launch of the Signify myCreation URBAN GREY product line. For the first time, discarded streetlighting components are being reintroduced into a closed-loop system as premium optical products—made with 75% recycled content.
The benefits extend beyond material innovation:
High recycled content: Up to 75% recycled polycarbonate, significantly reducing virgin material use and diverting waste from incineration
On-demand production: 3D printing eliminates overproduction and excess inventory
Design and affordability: New lampshades remain both visually appealing and cost-efficient
What was once considered hard-to-recycle lighting waste is now becoming the raw material for the next generation of luminaires—closing the loop from streetlight to streetlight.