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solving yesterdays problems today……

it is not outdated to try and “save the lightbulb” and create solutions for CF bulb usage and disposal. LED technology is still fairly expensive compared to florescent, and it comes with a long list of issues that, save for the best and most expensive LED products out there, still run rampant (color temps, dimming, heat management). Despite disposal dangers, CF bulbs are a much more logical “green” solution to lighting at this time than over-hyped LEDs.

I like the waste management “infrastructure” aspect of this project, kind of like the packages provided by printing companies for used ink cartridges. The packaging is also nice, although it might be a little heavy on material for a single bulb. Less material can often be better than a ton of “green” material. Unfortunately I don’t think the active bulb-shade function to the system has as much merit. only a small portion of fixtures with a free-hanging bulb might accommodate the shade, and the amount of light it lets through looks a bit conservative. I think the shade’s shortcomings overshadow (no pun intended) the usefulness of the system as a packaging and disposal solution.

that being said, i dig the perforated cardboard corner cuts that let light through like strips of tiny bulbs. that’s pretty awesome.

I am very interested in all your comments about my product and many of your comments are all very valid and I would encourage you all to keep commenting as it is invaluable feedback.

In response to P:

I totally agree that the ‘use as a nightshade’ is the weakest part of the entire ‘service’ but the only reason that it was done was so that it was a way the user would keep the packaging and I am currently developing more forms for the light shade which use less material and give out much more light. However, if you don’t want to use it as a light-shade you can always put the the lightbulb that you have just replaced in it and send it back.

I also love the light coming out of the corrugations, it is a nice feature which shows of the materials beauty.

If you would like further information or to discuss any of this further please get in touch @ tim@timedgeler.com or have a look at my website @ http://www.timedgeler.com.

Thanks again,

Tim

If the purpose is to recycle the bulb, then do it logicaly, crush the bulb under you heel in a and pour the remains in a envelope. Why protect something with a bunch of volume and material when it can be reduced to a fraction of its orignial size.

Zippy hits the nail on the head..! Respect.

zippyflounder and Carl – this issue with doing this is that you then produce a package which is potentially harmful and is in fact not allowed to be sent through the current mail services.

It also mixes all the material again and releases the potentially lethal mercury gas which is one of the main risks posed by CFL lightbulbs. The aim is to return the item in-tact so that a specialist company can recycle all the components and produce 90-99% pure materials out of them.

It also means that the packaging is not wasted as it is recycled as well.

However I appreciate your comments.

Tim

Alright Timmy,

recyclying aside, looking at the design. The narrow aperature of the lightshade will ‘focus’ the illumination to only a small area of the room.

Using packaging as the product is problematic too. how many people are going to pick up and buy a damaged/marked box. you will have 100′s of returns. (why do you think toothpaste tubes come in boxes? if its out of shape nobody wants it)

packaging is just that, it ptotects the product. i would not want a box hanging in my room!

i cant see how the recycling company is going to make any money having paid for so many packages themselves to be returned,(freepost isnt free)

To Zippy and Carl:

Thanks for your replies. First off, I did not write the blurb on this site, it has been taken from a release and I had no say in the content, however in my full explanation of the product it is focused at using CFL’s as in 2012 all lamps ion the UK must be CFL / Halogen / LED, basically anything but incandescent. The graphic of the bulb is merely to act as a form of nostalgia as this type of bulb will soon be ‘extinct’.

The idea of a pick up point in stores is a method that we are looking at but the issue with that is the implementation would have to be so wide that it would not be commercially viable. If you have a look at the return slip though it does offer an option of returning it to Point of Sale where you would also receive a discount on another package.

This specific form was the first initial prototype which has been picked up by a company and featured in press releases, I fully agree that the shape of the ‘shade’ does not lend itself to being very good for dispersing light over a large area and there are now a range of forms and material choices which are all being reviewed.

the issue of damaged packaging is also a valid one which would have to be looked at carefully, however this is why different material choices are being investigated, such as reclaimed, recycled polypropylene.

As I said previously, if you didn’t want to have the product hanging in your room then you could send it back straight away with he lightbulb that you have replaced with your new CFL. The free-post cost is included in the retail price, which is why you receive a discount on a new product if you return it to POS instead of posting it.

Hope this helps.

Tim

i would love to see this presented in Dragon’s Den. it is a crucade, not a product.

I like what you are trying to do, and I actually think it looks cool (today.) However I do see it as a waste of materials because this would never overtake how bulbs are sold now anytime soon- enough. Therefore it’s just more product produced, not replaced. If your bulb were to make it to mass production it would sit on the self right next to the old standard boxes… Zippy’s first comment pretty much summed it up.

买个低瓦数的或者有可调空开关的灯，都比你这想法来的实在，明显是让法拉利跑个20迈嘛

The reason why I ask is because your style and design seems
different then most blogs and I’m trying to
find something unique. P. S My apologies to get off-topic but
I had to ask!