Recently I purchased some Compact Fluorescent (CF) bulbs for some bedside lamps. As I thought about the bulb choices available to me in the lighting aisle of the local supermarket, I was reminded that sometimes eco-friendly products come in eco-unfriendly packaging. Pictured to the left is the bulb I ended up purchasing.

There were some CF bulbs available in recyclable, paper-based packaging, but not the shape and wattage I needed. I noticed that most of the CF bulbs available at this store were packaged in thick plastic envelops.

That reminds me of something that would be funny if it weren’t so indicative of the (sad) larger situation. One of my most used, and most valuable tools is a pair of heavy-duty kitchen shears (thanks Mom for these. They’re one of the best gifts you ever gave me!). I use them so much that the one time my housemate mis-placed them, I almost panicked! I use them for: opening the heavy sealed plastic envelopes that many items are packaged in, cutting pizza into slices, snipping price tags off of clothing, and lots of other household chores.

And that day I used them for opening my eco-friendly light bulbs that were packaged in eco-unfriendly packaging.

I think manufacturers can do better. In fact, I know they can, because from time to time I see examples of what better looks like. A few months ago I got a pannier for my bike. It looked like this, (photo on right).

If you look closely, you can see that the information tag attached to this item is hand-tied with a red ribbon! I can’t tell you how much that small touch made my heart sing!

When faced with the choice to use a plastic tie and a hand-tied piece of ribbon, this manufacturer made the right choice. And that gives me hope that more manufacturers will do the same.