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

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)

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