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We are the first manufacturer worldwide to produce the most varied range of Christmas displays from organic materials. At MK we don’t just want to follow the ‘green’ trend and merely give the impression of being ecologically aware, we want to be the driving force behind it and an industry leader in developing products with significant environmental benefits. For us it is important to leave behind a demonstrably light environmental footprint. This is one of the reasons why we are already thinking ahead in our selection of diverse materials and using organic materials in our products. The organic materials we have sourced are 100% recyclable, waterproof, weatherproof, and resistant to UV light. Our environmental commitment started in the development of LED products and has been a constant companion in our corporate philosophy ever since. The new organic range is a product of this philosophy.

The new "Organic Materials" generation

The proportion of "organic materials" in our production is rising month-on-month. The so-called "renewable raw materials" are based completely, or in an agreed proportion, on agricultural raw materials such as (amongst others) starch, sugar, vegetable oils and cellulose (wood, natural fibres, straw) as well as special organic molecules like lignin or rubber. The proportion of agricultural raw materials in each Organic Material is at least 20%. The expression "organic materials"

is still relatively young. At MK we're using the term as a collective label to describe the new organic based materials used to create our new MK Organic range.

The "organic materials" used in our concepts are made up of considerably more than 20% wood. We justifiably refer to these materials as organic because:

a considerable proportion of the material is derived from renewable sources
the proportion of petrochemical source materials is significantly reduced
the net effect on the planet's CO₂ levels is markedly better than with standard polymers

they are a real-life contribution to resource-saving sustainability

Its golden glow, together with the welcoming atmosphere it creates, makes "warm white" the first choice of LED colour for decorative and Christmas illuminations. However, not all “warm-whites“ are the same. In conjunction with the world's most renowned LED lighting manufacturer worldwide, our R & D departement has developed an LED light source which combines energy efficiency and high luminosity with a consistent "warm white" tone. Despite its considerably lower energy consumption, the LED produces a light which is strikingly similar to that of a traditional light bulb.

At MK, we call cold white "brilliant white"
This is because no other light can create magical winter landscapes that are so charming, majestic, powerful and pure. Brilliant light attracts people's attention and manages to hold it because of its fabulously unique colour tone.
What do "patented LEDs" offer?
The patented LED specially manufactured for MK Illumination – our Premium LEDs – are not labelled ‘premium’ without reason. They offer decisive advantages over the competition: - they are sourced exclusively from a reputable manufacturer - only patented LEDs provide an assured legal position on the market - luminosity and quality fulfil the standards set by MK Illumination Copy LEDs are illegal, used in cheap products and lose in just 500 hours more than 50% of their luminosity. In comparison MK‘s Premium LEDs lose just 10-20% of their luminosity within 10000 hours. In summary MK Premium LEDs offer substantial benefits including: - a clearer and more intensive luminous colour (Kelvin) - a smaller loss of luminosity (Lumen in percent) - longer duration of life (longevity) Ask your producer or manufacturers for a valid certificate to ensure they use patented LEDs. MK uses only low-power LEDs These are ideally suited for decorative and festive illuminations since they only emit a nominal amount of heat. All MK products have been, and are, subject to continuous testing by recognised European institutes (SLG, Kema, TÜV), guaranteeing the highest levels of safety for you and your customers.

since its beginnings in the 1950s, one of the most-traditional decorative illumination festivals in Germany. Every year some 4.5 million domestic and international visitors to the Light Festival, and to the International Christmas Market, are recorded strolling through the centre of the city of Essen and marvelling at the sights.

In 2008, MK Illumination and EMG-Essen Marketing GmbH delivered total conversion to LED technology of the winter illuminations of the City of Essen, achieving their goals of refreshing the illumination displays using innovative lighting solutions, and of saving energy at the same time to promote environmental responsibility.

In its planning for the design and content of the different illumination solutions to decorate the city-centre streets, EMG-Essen Marketing GmbH is partnered by, and supported closely by, MK Illumination. The result of this teamwork was, and is, the transformation of the city of Essen with its many, newly-created, decorative lighting displays into Europe's largest open-air showroom for its visitors. "The advantages of the new display technology lie not only in the energy-efficiency and long life of the LEDs, but also in the greater flexibility it gives us in creating displays. The energy saving of over 80% is a major, visible, contribution to reducing emissions at a time of climate change. By way of comparison: where an old motif on the Kettwiger Strasse used to consume over 4,000 watt per hour, a new one only requires between 100 and 200 watt per hour" confirms EMG's CEO Karl-Heinz König. "It makes real sense to invest six-figure sums, especially as these investments are made possible by the support we gratefully receive from sponsoring companies in Essen, and by the co-operation with MK Illumination".

The company MK Illumination makes a further demonstrable contribution to leaving a light ecological footprint, by supplying numerous displays in organic materials, which are, therefore, completely recyclable. This pioneering and environmentally-friendly innovation has remained unique, not only in Europe, but indeed, anywhere in the world. Of course, the Christmas displays created in these materials remain UV-, water- and weatherproof.

Some 6,000,000 LEDs create a magical, pre-Christmas atmosphere in the whole city centre of Essen. Come and experience the magic of the Essen Light Festival.

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