A Sustainable Lighting Schools Initiative 

At Soho Lighting we strive to create a positive legacy. From recycled design materials and plastic-free packaging to innovative new engineering breakthroughs and our journey to B Corp accreditation, sustainability is at the core of all we do.  

With our pioneering Ocean Collection we aim to help rid the world’s oceans of harmful plastics through the creation of beautiful lighting.

The culmination of a three-year project, we recover discarded fishing nets and plastics, and use innovative 3D printing techniques to create lighting that is both practical and elegant. The growth of this collection has been phenomenal as consumers make more environmentally conscious choices, however, we wanted to do more to engage our younger generations.  

"We feel passionately about connecting young people with commercial design, sustainable thinking, local manufacturing and circular economies. Our young are the ones who will drive and embed any positive environmental choices and changes we make today."

Lee Lovett, Co-founder 

From our Cornish HQ, and with the support of Cornwall County Council, we have launched The Soho Lighting Cleaner Ocean Project, currently a pilot of ten schools focused on sustainability with the aim to roll out to other schools within the country.    

The schoolchildren learn about plastics, recycling and 3D printing. They are undertaking beach cleans and designing their own light to be created from the plastics they salvage. The overall winning design from each school will be 3D printed and electrically fitted, courtesy of Soho Lighting and 3D Printing Cornwall, then entered for final judgement by the Decorex Sustainability task force and esteemed Interior Designer Gerry Apponyi.  

Decorex, Europe’s premier Interior Design event, leads from the front when it comes to driving sustainable choices in exhibitions, having set up a dedicated task force of sustainably focused interiors brands, designers and advisors. Along with Gerry Apponyi, whose passion for repurposing furniture and materials is built on sustainable principles, our youngsters' designs could not be in better hands.  

The overall winning design will be launched at Decorex at Olympia, London in October 2024, where the young designer will attend as a VIP guest. The design will then join Soho Lighting’s Ocean Collection and be made commercially available with proceeds awarded to the environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage.