Tag: fire design

Batteries in Landfills: Why the Emergency Lighting Industry Must Lead the Way

In the safety and emergency lighting industry, reliability is non-negotiable. Batteries have long been a cornerstone of traditional systems, yet their environmental cost is staggering. At Ecoglo, we believe it’s time for a brighter, more sustainable solution – one that eliminates the need for batteries entirely.

A Long-Term Problem for a Short-Term Solution

Batteries power many emergency lighting systems, but their disposal leaves an environmental legacy that lasts for centuries:

  • Alkaline batteries take over 100 years to decompose, slowly leaching harmful chemicals into the soil and water.
  • Lithium-ion batteries found in modern systems may persist for hundreds of years, resisting natural breakdown.
  • Lead-acid batteries corrode, but their toxic contents, like lead, remain indefinitely, posing long-term risks.

Every battery in a landfill today represents a missed opportunity to prioritise sustainable innovation.

Lighting the Way Without Batteries

At Ecoglo, we’ve reimagined emergency lighting with a focus on sustainability. Our photoluminescent technology is designed to eliminate the need for batteries by harnessing natural and artificial light, our products charge during normal conditions and glow brightly when it matters most.

Our mission is simple: replace outdated, battery-reliant systems with innovative, sustainable solutions that protect people and don’t cost the planet.

A Future Free of Battery Waste

Ecoglo’s photoluminescent safety systems prove that sustainability and safety can go hand in hand. By reducing reliance on batteries, we’re not only helping buildings stay compliant and cost-efficient but also taking a stand against the environmental harm caused by traditional systems.

Because in the emergency lighting industry, the brightest ideas are the ones that last – for people today and the planet tomorrow.

The Importance of Reliable Exit Path Marking in Emergency Situations

In a crisis, visibility can make all the difference. When power fails or thick smoke fills the air, clear, visible exit paths are essential for safe, orderly evacuations. At Ecoglo, we know that every second counts, so we’ve engineered our photoluminescent products to provide bright, reliable guidance – ensuring people can find their way to safety in any emergency.

Designed for Compliance and Peace of Mind

Our exit path marking systems don’t just enhance safety – they also help you stay compliant with building regulations. With rigorous testing and adherence to global safety standards, our products ensure you’re meeting requirements without compromising on quality or durability. This means peace of mind, knowing that your building is equipped with products that will work when they’re needed most.

Built to Perform, Wherever They’re Installed

Our products are crafted using a precise manufacturing process that combines resilience with sustainability. Without needing batteries, they provide a reliable, low-maintenance solution for guiding people safely in high-traffic buildings – from airports and stadiums to schools and office buildings. They’re built tough to withstand heavy use and are proudly manufactured in New Zealand.

Ecoglo’s exit path marking solutions are reliable, compliant, and more sustainable – because when it comes to safety, there’s no room for compromise. Explore our range to see how we’re lighting the way to a safer future.

High Temperature Curing: The Secret Behind Ecoglo’s Durability

Ever wondered how we manage to offer market leading product warranties whilst maintaining a competitive price?


The answer is our proprietary manufacturing process known as High Temperature Curing (HTC).


This process involves combining phosphorescent particles with polymers and applying the mix to an aluminium base, which is then baked at 180 degrees Celsius in our custom built oven in Christchurch, New Zealand. This process permanently bonds the material, ensuring our products resist peeling, shrinking, and fading, even in extreme conditions.

More Particles, More Glow
The brightness and longevity of our products come down to the number of phosphorescent particles we use – and we use a lot! Our precise dry powder process allows us to control the density and consistency of these particles, resulting in brighter, more reliable photoluminescence compared to products made using liquid-based methods.

Reduced Environmental Impact
Our HTC process isn’t just effective – it’s also more environmentally friendly than the alternatives. Excess powder can be reused, reducing waste, and there’s no liquid effluent, making it cleaner than traditional methods. It also removes the need for battery powered signage.

In short, Ecoglo’s products are brighter, tougher, and more sustainable.


Designed and manufactured in New Zealand, they’re built to last, no matter where they’re installed.

AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW OF THE WORLD CAN BE USEFUL

As we come to the end of our first week of lockdown in New Zealand it’s great to see how Team Ecoglo has taken a fresh view of things to overcome the challenges that have been thrown at us – a different view of the world can be useful sometimes 🙂

Having adapted to a year of earthquakes (in Christchurch NZ 10 years ago) Ecoglo was well prepared for business disruption but we never quite contemplated the global reach and velocity of the COVID-19 crisis. What we did have built into our DNA was an ability to take a fresh view, turn on a dime and adapt.

MANUFACTURING
The manufacturing team has responded with a record month in March producing 4 times February’s output and more than double March 2019’s output. They’ve also had to adapt to new safety protocols so that we can respond to our operating units working on essential construction around the world – construction driven by the need for authorities to act fast to build temporary infrastructure and healthcare facilities.

FIRE DESIGN
20 years of operating in global markets from small islands in the middle of the South Pacific means that working remotely is second nature to our New Zealand based team. That means that some quick hardware upgrades had our design team operating from their homes days before the lockdown was announced.

As well as our usual escape/evacuation route design for NZ and Australia we’ve quickly got design work underway to service global markets from the Middle East to the Philippines.

If you have evacuation routes needing to be built into a fire design for rapid response construction, or if you’re just getting planning in place to get your economy moving as quickly as possible, contact one of our business development team:

Australia: Contact Jeff Weston – jeff.weston@ecoglo.com
New Zealand: Contact Lester Easton – lester.easton@ecoglo.com
North & South America: Contact John Heffner – JohnH@Engplastics.com
Middle East, South Asia & ASEAN: Keith Phillips – keith.phillips@ecoglo.com
UK & Europe: Charmaine Bella – Charmaine@ecoglo.com