By Michael Colligan, Host of Get a Grip on Lighting and Owner of Lighting Solutions Group
Power is not seized overnight. It is taken gradually, by shifting norms, eroding choices, and cloaking an agenda in the language of progress. The LED revolution, once hailed as the dawn of efficiency and longevity, has become an exercise in control—forcing consumers into an endless cycle of disposability. The old order, where lighting was repairable and built to last, has been systematically dismantled. And the consequences are now clear: higher costs, mountains of waste, and an industry designed to benefit manufacturers, not consumers.
The Past: When the Customer Had the Power
For decades, lighting was simple. A bulb burned out, you replaced it. Every fixture—from the grandest chandelier to the humblest parking lot light—was built with a replaceable component. Standardized sockets, upheld by organizations like NEMA, ensured that bulbs were interchangeable across brands. You weren’t at the mercy of any single manufacturer. The power was in your hands.
Fluorescent fixtures followed the same principle. When a ballast failed—after a respectable 15 years—you swapped it out, and the fixture continued to serve you for another decade or two. Commercial tubes lasted years, and the fixtures themselves? 30, 40, even 50 years indoors. Outdoors, they could withstand the elements for 15 to 25 years. It was a system that worked. A system that gave the buyer control.
The LED Trap: A False Promise of Progress
Today, the industry has shifted—subtly, but decisively. LED fixtures are no longer built to accommodate replaceable bulbs. While LED tubes exist to mimic fluorescent designs, a massive portion of modern LED fixtures are sealed units, designed to die as one. And when they do—often within three to seven years—you’re left with one option: full replacement.
In the past, fixtures endured. Technology advanced in a way that allowed incremental upgrades: from T12 to T8 to T5, and finally to LED—all within the same fixture. That was true progress, a circular economy in action. Today’s system is a different kind of progress—one designed to serve manufacturers, not customers.
Government incentives, supposedly created to promote sustainability, have instead accelerated the adoption of disposable LEDs. The result? Fixtures with no standard replacement parts, no repairability, and no future. The industry has successfully conditioned buyers to accept this as normal. It is not normal. It is a trap.
The Cost of Surrender
For property and facility managers, this shift is catastrophic. Consider the reality of managing a condominium, an office building, or a parking garage. Five to ten years ago, you upgraded to LED flat panels, believing in their promise of longevity. Today, they are yellowing, failing, and beyond repair. Some can be retrofitted back to lamp-ready solutions, but in most cases, you have no choice—you must replace the entire fixture. Again. And again.
For condo corporations, this means budgeting for a complete fixture overhaul every five to ten years—a financial burden that, over time, dwarfs any supposed savings from LEDs. The old system lasted decades. The new system bleeds you dry.
The Path to Power: Demand Lamp-Ready Fixtures
There is a way out. The return to a repairable, sustainable lighting model starts with rejecting disposable fixtures. Lamp-ready designs—built with standard sockets—allow for simple LED tube replacements without the need for an electrician. They provide all the efficiency of LED technology, without locking you into an endless cycle of replacement.
If you manage a property, control a budget, or have a say in purchasing—demand lamp-ready fixtures. Tell your suppliers: “I want fixtures where I can replace the bulb.”
The Hypocrisy of the Circular Economy
Governments speak endlessly of sustainability, reducing waste, and building a circular economy. Yet, they have championed the very policies that make lighting disposable. If they truly believed in sustainability, they would prioritize repairability. A system that requires an electrician—or worse, a full fixture replacement—just to change a light source is a system designed for waste.
What You Must Do Now
This is a battle for control. If you are managing a property, ask yourself: Does my fixture have replaceable components? If the answer is no, you are on borrowed time. Choose lamp-ready alternatives instead.
In Ontario, if your LED fixtures are failing, do not surrender to the cycle of waste. Call Lighting Solutions. We can extend the life of your system with low-cost upgrades and retrofits that put control back in your hands. Contractors—set up an account with Atlas Lighting to access the expertise and materials you need to break free from disposable design.
The Future: A Return to Sanity
The lighting industry once operated on principles of durability and repairability. It must return to those roots. Consumers have the power to force that change. But you must take action—demand better choices, refuse to accept disposability, and reclaim control over your lighting systems.
The government has misled us, and the industry followed. It’s time to fight back.
Thanks for reading!
Michael Colligan
Lighting Solutions Group / Get a Grip on Lighting
Ontario, Canada