Why So Many “Eco-Friendly” LED Fixtures End Up in the Trash

LED, But Not Quite Sustainable

LED lighting was supposed to be the sustainable choice. It uses less power, runs cooler, and lasts longer than incandescent bulbs ever could. But here’s the part most people don’t think about: a growing number of LED fixtures, especially the ones built with COB (Chip-on-Board) modules, are being tossed out long before they fail on paper.

Not because the technology broke. Because the design didn’t leave room for repair.

A Burned-Out Chip Shouldn’t Mean the End

COB LEDs are compact, efficient, and bright. They’re also sealed into the body of the fixture. There’s no bulb to swap, no easy access to the chip. When it fails – whether from heat, voltage fluctuation, or simple wear – the entire fixture is done. Not recycled. Just tossed.

That clean, seamless silhouette comes at a cost. For a lot of manufacturers, the tradeoff is worth it. Less hardware. Fewer returns. A locked-in product. But the result is a lighting industry quietly contributing to the same waste problem it claims to help solve.

Not All LED Fixtures Are Sustainable

The energy savings of LED lighting are real. That’s not in question. But sustainability isn’t just about efficiency during use. It’s also about the afterlife of the product – whether it can be repaired, reused, or kept in circulation.

Many integrated LED fixtures are built with no path forward when something breaks. You can’t open them. You can’t replace the chip. You can’t fix what’s inside without damaging the body. So they go in the trash, often years earlier than their advertised lifespan.

This isn’t a failure of technology. It’s a failure of design thinking.

Why It’s Happening

Designers like the minimal look. Builders like the lower profile. Manufacturers like the cost control. And consumers, understandably, like the idea of “set it and forget it.”

But integrated LED lighting has a shelf life. Once the chip fails, the entire object becomes electronic waste. And unlike a bulb, which you can easily unscrew and replace, these fixtures don’t offer that kind of flexibility.

The aesthetic wins – until it doesn’t.

There’s a Better Way

Some studios are approaching this differently. Instead of chasing seamlessness at any cost, they’re designing fixtures around standard, replaceable LED bulbs. These pieces still look modern. Still feel intentional. But they aren’t disposable.

Research.Lighting, a Brooklyn-based studio, has taken this stance from the beginning. “It’s not complicated,” says Shaun Kasperbauer, founder and chief designer at Research.Lighting. “We use sockets and LED bulbs because we want our fixtures to last. Realistically most people aren’t going to be able to solder in new LEDs – and you shouldn’t have to throw away a light just because the chip died.”

It’s not a throwback. It’s just basic design logic – and it still leaves plenty of room for form and detail.

What to Ask Before You Buy

Not sure what kind of lighting you’re getting? Ask a few questions before clicking “add to cart.”

• Can the LED be replaced?
• Is the fixture sealed shut?
• Is the form driving the function, or vice versa?
  

If it’s a sculptural object with no replaceable parts, chances are it’s not built to last. And even if the brand says “50,000 hours,” remember: one surge, one chip failure, and that number goes out the window.

Choosing better doesn’t mean choosing less. It means understanding what will still be working – and worth keeping – a few years from now.

Lighting That Lasts

The most sustainable fixture is the one you don’t have to replace. A simple socket. A well-made shape. A light source you can change when it stops working.

That’s not old-fashioned. That’s what sustainability looks like when you design for the full life of the object – not just the first few years.

Lighting doesn’t need to be smart to be thoughtful. And it definitely doesn’t need to be disposable to be modern.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for the planet is build something that sticks around.