GET ACTIVE
Watch Coalfinger
Watch our 007 spoof Coalfinger and share it with your friends to spread the word about the menace of coal.
Woolworths makes no changes to light bulbs policy; campaigners not impressed
Posted by jamie on 19 July 2007.
I was just about to write a piece slating Woolworths (as, after all the fuss we caused on Saturday, we still hadn't heard from them) when I got a call from Laura, one of our campaigners, to say she had a letter from them explaining what they're going to do about energy-guzzling light bulbs. I'm looking at it now and I'm sorry, but I'm still going to slate them.
It's from CEO Trevor Bish-Jones who begins by not asking for us not to stage in-store protests in future but to communicate directly with himself. So he'll be pleased about all the emails he's been getting from you (if you haven't emailed him, do it now, or you can call your local branch of Woolies and speak to the manager).
He goes on to use some well-worn arguments which I thought it would be useful to air here. Take it away, Trevor.
"CFL [compact fluorescent lamp] light bulbs are not currently suitable for all uses, e.g. emergency lighting and for vulnerable groups such as the elderly."
I don't know how many bulbs Woolworths sells for use in emergency lighting, but the fact is that efficient CFL bulbs are available for the vast majority of uses. If entire countries like Australia, Cuba and Venezuela can phase out incandescents, there's no reason companies in the UK can't as well. We've exposed more myths like these in the past. And we'd like to see Woolworths' evidence that old people can't use efficient bulbs that save them money.
"We anticipate that consumer demand will change in the next few years and technology will advance. Woolworths will be supportive of this and therefore we expect not to be selling incandescents by 2011."
That word, "expect" - it's nothing like a firm commitment. Instead, it implies that they think customers will probably have stopped wanting to buy incandescents by 2011, but certainly doesn't suggest Woolies are planning anything proactive to stop selling these bulbs. Besides, we're pushing for them to stop selling them by the end of this year. If it takes four or five years to change a light bulb, what hope do we have?
"We have already planned to increase the number of CFL light bulbs we sell. As of the end of September, 23 per cent of our light bulb range will be CFL. It is our understanding that this is well ahead of our competitors."
Hard to see how, given that Currys have already stopped buying new stocks of incandescents in anticipation of phasing them out and in Ikea, sales of CFL bulbs make up 41 per cent of their total bulb sales.
"Again, already planned, is a range of Worthit! (our low price brand) CFL light bulbs... [which] will significantly reduce the price of CFL light bulbs in our stores..."
Will they be cheaper than the current low price of 49p? Mr Bish-Jones doesn't say, but if this new range is included in the 23 per cent mentioned above, that still leaves huge areas of shelving filled with incandscents. Incidentally, all CFLs stocked by Woolworths are supplied by General Electric, the company started by Thomas Edison who is also credited as inventor of the incandescent light bulb. I wrote on Saturday about the historical connections between Edison and Woolworths, so it seems Woolies are putting corporate interests and affiliations ahead of offering customers genuine choice and value.
So, not much in the way of affirmative action from Woolworths. We'll need to reassess the league table to see if they move off the bottom rung but it's not looking good. And speaking of the league table, it's prompted a call from another retailer saying they're going to announce some new policies which they hope will move them up the rankings. I can't say who it is yet, but their sign-off said it all - "We don't want to be Woolworths, do we?"
light bulbs woolworth
what about the heavy metal pollution from the new bulbs?
does greenpeace only blog convenient facts which totally agree with the in house line??
heavy metal
No, but Trevor's letter didn't mention heavy metals so they're not mentioned here.
However, we have covered the mercury issue elsewhere, but to recap: the mercury in CFLs can be recycled and, now that CFLs are covered by the EU's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive (which came into force this month), retailers should be providing facilities to take them back once they've expired. I've only seen signs that Currys and Ikea have started doing that so far.
Incidentally, burning fossil fuels to generate electricity also releases toxic materials, so using less electricity means less toxics.
web editor
gpuk
What about the effects of Mercury??!!
Hi,
As you are all aware mercury is extremely difficult to dispose of and if it does contaminate our environment which in the long term it inevitably will, we are going to have serious problems. If you just look on the internet at the side effects of mercury you will find countless problems associated with it ranging from skin disorders, depression, nervous system disorders and infertility. For example, pregnant women are warned against even eating tuna due its high content of mercury, so how is having a mercury light bulb in our home any less toxic?
I am no expert on climate change and I do agree with all of you that something fast must be done to combat it but what I do question is that why are we swapping one evil for another? Why do we need mercury? Is there not another alternative for low energy efficient light bulbs?
I can’t understand why if we are trying to be environmentally friendly, are we putting this in our light bulbs which are not always going to be disposed of correctly. How is the whole of the country to be trusted to dispose of the mercury in a safe way? Also, where is this mercury going? If it is going to be put in landfill we are still going to feel the effects through our food chain eventually. Please would someone explain to me how this a better way for the environment in the long term?