October 2026 – A joint recycling project by lighting manufacturer TRILUX and metal
processing specialist OTTO FUCHS has won two awards at the Build Back Better
Awards 2026 in London: Platinum and Green. The judges recognized an innovative
process that transfors aluminium from old luminaire louvres into new luminaire
profiles without remelting. The award ceremony took place on 8 October 2026 during
"Circular Lighting Live 2026" conference at the Minster Building in London.
The Build Back Better Awards evaluate products, projects, and initiatives from the built
environment based on four criteria: innovation, creativity, social benefit, and environmental
responsibility. A panel of 24 experts judges the best submissions in the lighting category. The
Platinum rating is reserved for exceptional and pioneering submissions, while the Green
rating honours solutions with leading sustainability characteristics. TRILUX and OTTO
FUCHS entered the "Louvres in the Loop" project in the "Lighting" category.
The Project: Louvres in the Loop

Since January 2024, TRILUX and OTTO FUCHS have been working together on the
research project "Louvres in the Loop." The focus is on recovering and recycling aluminium
from old specular louvres and reflectors (post-consumer material) as well as from chips
generated during operations at OTTO FUCHS (pre-consumer material). In this innovative
process, the aluminium scrap is recycled without the material having to be melted down. As
part of the research project, a carbon footprint of less than 0.2 kg CO₂e per kilogram of
aluminium was determined for the production of the aluminium briquette (screening LCA
based on ISO 14040/14044, cradle-to-gate). For comparison: the informal limit for so-called
"low carbon" aluminium ingots is 4 kg CO₂e per kg, and some manufacturers already achieve
0.9 kg CO₂e per kg (internal research, as of 10/2026). On a global average, primary
aluminium accounts for 14.4 kg CO₂e per kg (year 2024), and aluminium produced in Europe
accounts for 6.6 kg CO₂e per kg (year 2023).
"The jury evaluated exactly what we aimed for in the project: keeping material in the cycle for
as long as possible – and to do so by rethinking not only the material but also the process.
Receiving Platinum and Green acknowledges both the technical innovation and the project's
approach to resource conservation," explains Sebastian Wurth, Product & Technology
Development Engineer at OTTO FUCHS.

Outlook
With the completion of the research project, both partners have created the conditions for an
innovative product. In the first step, TRILUX is producing a luminaire profile made of recycled
aluminium for customised luminaires. The RCY variants will be available in silver, gold, and
black.
"By developing a luminaire profile using our new aluminium recycling process, we are
encouraging a more responsible approach to material use and taking an important step
towards a circular economy," says Sebastian Knoche, Lead Researcher at TRILUX. The
market response has been positive. Initial pilot projects with customers have already started.