The Lights Are on

Margot Parker, Head of European Communications and Legislation, European Promotional Products Association (EPPA), enlightens us!

In our February feature we showcased eco-friendly and re-cyclable promotional products to help you do your bit for the environment, whilst doing business in the promotional sector. But there are other ways your business can be kind to the eco-system. Margot Parker of Europromoconsult advises:

"New energy saving bulbs could light our way forward and contribute to saving our planet.

"In February the Australian Government announced it will phase-out traditional light bulbs in the next three years, with a full ban expected from 2009. Replacing the incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient compact lamps (CFLs) could cut 4 million tonnes from the country's greenhouse-gas emissions by 2012, says the Australian environment Minister, Malcolm Turnbull.

"This Australian initiative has inspired the German legislators to call for a similar phase-out measure. The German Government can try to convince the rest of the EU to adopt the approach, which could set the most energy-efficient model as the EU standard. The EU energy spokesman Ferren Tarradelles says the Commission has no intention in its energy-efficiency plan to ban products such as the traditional light bulbs. They prefer to give incentives to promote the most energy-efficient products and to make sure that consumers are well informed.

"The advantages of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) is that they use much less energy than traditional lamps and last up to four times as long. However, they also have disadvantages, they are more expensive, and require more energy to produce and their functionality is not the same, they are not dimmable.

"There could also be a potential environmental problem, as CFLs contain mercury and therefore more care needs to be taken concerning their disposal. In January 2007 California proposed a similar proposal to ban traditional lamps by 2012, much like the Australians have done, even Cuba and Venezuela have launched their own initiatives in the great bulb swap-switching commitment.

"So will we in the UK be switching quickly? The answer is 'no'. It will be a number of years before manufacturers are able to create a change in all our lighting habits, I can't see a football pitch lit by fluorescents just yet, but making a sensible start with the less conventional bulbs, will at least make us a little greener than we used to be."

Margot Parker,
Head of European Communications and Legislation,
European Promotional Products Association (EPPA),
margot@eppa.eu.com

Further info on the subject of mercury, follow these links
· EU seeks global mercury ban
· Parliament heats up over mercury ban
· Commission proposes to ban mercury exports by...
· MEPs want mercury ban to cover healthcare...
· EU concludes on safety of chemical thought...

Editor's aside: in this office we use both sides of paper – then recycle it, we use screen savers and energy efficient light bulbs. We have 'organic air conditioning', we open the windows! We turn off all lights at night and close the blinds to conserve the minimalist heat we leave on to protect the computers. The photocopier, etc. all have 'sleep' modes to conserve energy when not in use and we send our used cartridges for recycling too. So, we want to hear what you do in your office to help the environment. (I've tried recycling the tea bags, but I nearly had a strike on my hands.)

Promotional Category Suggestions: Carrier Bags, Paper Carrier Bags and Paper Bags

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