Plato USA

Sustainability Introduction - Statement of Purpose 

PLATO is an organization whose members are committed to lead the portable lights industry through identifying and following the best practices of environmental protection, promoting and encouraging the use of such practices throughout the entire industry and educating the public in the importance of these practices in saving our environment.

With a strong commitment to advocate the need for preservation of our earth, PLATO has adopted Environmental Stewardship as an extremely important component of our Mission.

Sustainability of the Environment – Statement of Best Practices

Members will endeavor to act in accordance with the following standards on environmental protection and seek to continually reduce their impact on the environment:

• Commit that the products they sell are manufactured under processes that ensure minimal damage to the environment. Some examples include: Raw material extraction and processing; Manufacture only products that comply with all regulations and restrictions and minimize any environmental effects in the production process.Some examples include: Reduce toxin emissions and Conserve water
• Maximize the reduction of waste of environmental resources throughout their entire supply chain. Some examples include: Battery recycling & disposal; Recycling of packaging materials; Reuse/use of post-consumer waste materials; Easy to separate  components for recycling (plastics vs metals vs batteries & circuit boards)
• Comply fully with all applicable standards, laws and regulations existent in all territories where they conduct their business. Some examples include: CA Prop 65, C-TPAT and Conflict Minerals
• Adopt the PLATO ANSI FL 1 Standard with environmental benefits. Some examples include:Peak Beam Intensity and Light Output to determine the amount of illumination needed, preserving battery life; Run Time qualifiers useful to gain the longest life out of batteries; Impact Resistance (Drop Test) and Enclosure Protection Against Water Penetration to indicate conditions when the light will last longer and be more durable
• Constantly investigate and strive to implement new ways to reduce negative impacts on the environment. Some examples include: Most efficient use of product and batteries; LED usage for longer product life and fewer filament bulbs in landfills; Adoption of rechargeable batteries reducing the volume of lights ruined by corrosion from single-use batteries  
• Promote sustainability by educating all industry participants including manufacturing and end-users on how to recognize the elements and benefits of sustainability. Some examples include: Setting specifications for products and packaging; Encouraging efficiency at point-of-use; Facilitating recycling and proper disposal of product and batteries at end-of-life; Facilitate product repair/availability of spare parts.