I got a cool LED book light for Christmas. It’s small, lightweight, and very bright: pretty much the way a booklight is supposed to be. The only real problem is the packaging it came in: it’s a huge, empty plastic box.
I measured both the booklight and the box. The box is 999 c/cm while the light itself is a mere 66 c/cm. That makes the box a whopping 97% empty. Of course its non-recyclable plastic, too, so it will sit in a landill for hundreds of years to come or float out to the great pacific garbage patch where it will kill sea life.
I understand the need for safe shipments of these things, but isn’t this a little ridiculous? Just last year I bought Kelly a similar booklight (hey, we like to read) that came from the same store and was priced similarly, only this light came in a simple, snug-fitting paperboard box. Why are things moving in the wrong direction?
The Europeans addressed the problem by requiring all manufacturers to accept their packaging back. It is amazing how creative a company can be in reducing waste when they have to pay for getting rid of it themselves…