The British Textile Machinery Association (BTMA) is alerting apparel brands, retailers, and suppliers about a major shift as the EU and UK officially ban fluorescent lighting from February 24, 2025. This phase-out, aimed at eliminating mercury-containing lamps, impacts designers, fabric manufacturers, and retail displays.
BTMA CEO Jason Kent explains that while mercury-based lamps were banned for general use in August 2023, an exemption for specialist applications, such as colour assessment, ends this month. The legislation is expected to be adopted globally.
This means specialist manufacturers, including VeriVide, will no longer sell new fluorescent-based light booths. Colour consistency across the textile supply chain is crucial, notes VeriVide Sales Director Adam Dakin, as fluorescent-based colour matching may appear different under LED store lighting, leading to costly returns and recalls.
VeriVide has spent a decade perfecting its all-LED UltraView technology, ensuring accurate digital colour assessments. The system, adopted by retailers like H&M, NEXT, and Marks & Spencer, replaces traditional fluorescent booths while improving energy efficiency and sustainability.
“We’ve future-proofed colour assessment with UltraView,” says Gary Timmons, fabric technologist at NEXT. VeriVide still holds replacement stock for existing fluorescent booths but urges a transition to UltraView.
Kent emphasizes that LEDs, being mercury-free and energy-efficient, are the ideal alternative. “With a complex supply chain, precision in lighting conditions is essential,” he says, urging the industry to adapt swiftly.
