Sustainability Hub | Sustainable industrial technology, powered by IR & UV

Meet Will Childs and discover why sustainability is an important part of our corporate responsibility. 

Victory has been manufacturing IR and UV systems and products in the UK for over 30 years. That experience gives us a unique vantage point: we understand the operational pressures our customers face, and we're building our sustainability initiatives around solutions that deliver real commercial value alongside genuine environmental benefit.

This opening episode introduces Will Childs, sets out what the series covers, and why it matters. From the energy demands of industrial heating to the environmental legacy of mercury-based UV systems, we look at the challenges our industry faces and the practical, proven solutions that are already making a measurable difference.

Read our full Corporate Responsibility commitment.

Why we've phased out mercury-based UV products, and what we replaced them with.

For decades, mercury arc lamps were the standard technology for UV curing across printing, coatings, adhesives and electronics manufacturing. They work — but they come with significant drawbacks: high energy consumption, hazardous mercury content, short lamp lifespans, ozone generation and the ongoing cost and disruption of frequent replacements.

Victory made a deliberate decision to phase out mercury-based UV products and transition our range to UV LED curing systems. The environmental and commercial case was compelling.

How shortwave IR is replacing gas and warm-air heating in factories and warehouses — and why it wins on efficiency.

Heating large industrial spaces (factories, warehouses, workshops, loading bays) is one of the most significant and most wasteful energy costs in manufacturing. Traditional convection systems heat the air, which rises immediately, escapes through open doors, and has to be continually replaced. The result is high energy bills and variable, uncomfortable working conditions.

Shortwave infrared heating works on a different principle: it heats people and objects directly, exactly as sunlight does, without relying on air as the transfer medium. The heat is instant, targeted and does not escape when doors are opened.

How IR drying and curing is displacing gas ovens, autoclaves, and thermal processes across industry.

Beyond space heating, shortwave infrared technology has a critical and often underappreciated role in industrial process applications: drying, curing, forming and heat treatment. In many manufacturing environments, these processes are still performed using gas-fired ovens, steam autoclaves or large electric convection ovens, all of which are energy-intensive, slow to respond, and difficult to control with precision.

Infrared energy is absorbed directly by the material being processed, rather than transferred via heated air, the process is faster, more controllable and far more energy-efficient.

One of many steps we're taking to reduce the transport emissions associated with our site.

Transport is one of the most significant contributors to carbon emissions for any business, both through fleet operations and daily staff commuting. We've installed EV charging points at our Leighton Buzzard HQ to make it easier for employees and visitors who drive electric vehicles to choose greener travel without worrying about range.

It's a relatively small investment but one that signals intent and removes a practical barrier. We're actively monitoring uptake and plan to expand charging capacity as EV adoption among our team grows.

How UV-C disinfection technology is helping manufacturers and water operators repurpose and recycle water safely.

Water scarcity is an increasingly urgent issue for industrial operations worldwide. Municipalities, manufacturers, and utilities face growing regulatory and commercial pressure to reduce freshwater consumption, treat wastewater to a reusable standard and demonstrate responsible water stewardship. UV-C disinfection technology is one of the most effective and environmentally friendly tools available to meet this challenge.

Unlike chemical disinfection methods such as chlorination, UV-C treatment inactivates bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens by disrupting their DNA, without adding any chemicals to the water and without generating harmful disinfection by-products. The treated water can then be safely reused in industrial processes, irrigation, or discharged into the environment.

A small change in the office, but part of a broader commitment to reducing plastic waste across our operations.

We've replaced single-use plastic water bottles across our sites with reusable alternatives for all staff. It's a simple initiative, but one that reflects our belief that sustainability has to be lived day-to-day, not just communicated externally or confined to product development.

Eliminating single-use plastic from our workplace is one of a number of internal changes we've made as part of our operational sustainability programme. Others include a review of disposable packaging in our kitchen areas, and a drive to reduce consumable waste across our manufacturing and despatch operations. We track progress and report it internally as part of our broader environmental performance monitoring.

How medium-pressure UV technology is helping shipping operators comply with the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention.

Every year, ships around the world take on billions of tonnes of ballast water to maintain stability during voyages. When that water is discharged at the destination port, it carries with it microorganisms, bacteria and marine species from thousands of miles away, species that can devastate local ecosystems, outcompete native organisms and cause irreversible harm to biodiversity.

The International Maritime Organisation's Ballast Water Management Convention (BWM Convention), in force since 2017, requires all commercial vessels to treat ballast water to the D-2 performance standard before discharge. UV-based treatment systems have emerged as the dominant technology for compliance, and for good environmental reason: they disinfect without chemicals, generating no harmful by-products and posing no risk to crew safety or aquatic ecosystems at the point of discharge.

Why we're investing in UV-C LED technology, and what it means for the future of disinfection.

Conventional UV-C disinfection systems, used widely in water treatment, air purification, and surface disinfection, have historically relied on low- or medium-pressure mercury lamps. These work well but they carry the same drawbacks as mercury lamps in curing applications: hazardous materials, warm-up times, relatively short lamp lives and the growing regulatory pressure to eliminate mercury from industrial processes entirely.

UV-C LED technology is emerging as the next generation of disinfection: mercury-free, instant-on, highly energy-efficient and capable of being precisely tuned to the 260–280nm wavelengths that are most effective at inactivating pathogens. Victory is investing in the development of UV-C LED systems because we believe this technology will become the new standard for industrial disinfection within this decade.

From biodegradable loose fill to recyclable air bags, how we're reducing packaging waste across every order we send.

Packaging is one of those areas where small decisions, multiplied across thousands of orders, add up to significant environmental impact. We've undertaken a comprehensive review of every packaging material we use, from the outer carton to the protective void fill inside, with the goal of eliminating unnecessary plastic and replacing it with recyclable, compostable, or reusable alternatives.