Do you buy eco-friendly items?

[Scott-Copywriter]

I notice this a lot these days. Many businesses put a lot of focus on selling eco-friendly alternatives and eco-friendly items in general.

Personally I never look at eco-friendly products unless they're exactly what I need. I look for what is most suitable for me, whether it's eco-friendly or not.

So, do you go out of your way to buy eco-friendly products (B2B and B2C)?

 

[Liybpg]

I think I would lean towards eco friendly products but I wouldn't just buy some rubbish just because it is supposedly eco friendly

 

[Rhyl Lightworks]

Economics surely plays a major part in this. People aren't going to pay more for an eco-friendly product, especially if it is inferior to a non-eco one, no matter what the ethics are.
The onus must be on producers of eco-friendly goods to sell them at a cheaper cost (and preferably have a superior product) than their competitors.

Barrie

 

[ShortCouture]

We also need to be careful when buying 'eco friendly' products!

Which? has just tested about 4 'ECO' cleaning products - including a couple of eco brands. They found that some of the claims were misleading (Tesco product claimed 'no phosphates' - but no products have phosphates) and that none of these products was actually any less harmful to the environment than other cleaning products.

 

[gentech5]

It depends really..

If it's an everyday product, eco credentails (I don't trust them too much) is the last thing that influences my purchase decision, after price and practicality.

Now if it's something that uses energy, like a car, machinery, electrical/office equipments.. I would be prepared to go the extra mile for it.

I guess it all depends on the product. hope it helps your survey.

 

[MASSEY]

N0 2

I need to make money not give it away on overpriced "eco" goods,

Dont get me wrong though i still do my bit, i recycle my bottles of corona and all the papers and leaflets.

 

[skyhi2]

Hmmmmmmm,very interesting poll.and very interesting results so far.

Being truly Eco Friendly is proving to be very hard work ( from a B2C point of view ).

But if your hand is being forced ( ? ) you darn well have to in my opinion.

Skyhi2.

 

[estwig]

You didn't include the option............

I go outta my way to avoid echo friendly b*llsh*t.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

This poll confirms what I suspected. I see a lot of businesses focus heavily on an eco-friendly angle like it's the 'must do' thing these days, but I never imagined it making that much of a real impact to sales. It might sway the odd client or two, but I don't think it should replace or 'push down' other important benefits when it comes to sales copy and advertising.

This does of course depend on the industry. There are some built around this sort of thing where eco-friendliness is very important.

 

[mathewl]

Start molding your interests, because if you, yourself are not interested in eco-friendly products, you will not inspire others. Today, the world needs the educated people like us to spread awareness about environment protection. Let's start now.

 

[virtuallysorted]

But the thing is, it's all very well being eco-friendly and "we should all do our bit", but you watch all the big businesses leaving their lights on all night or Glasgow City Council floodlighting every second building or someone with 5 children bleating on about the environment and you think "Actually, they aren't doing it, so why should I (who has minimal impact) do anything?"

I have eco-electricity in my house, Good Energy (EXCELLENT customer service, great company 100% eco power!). So I reckon I can use as many nice 100 watt bulbs as I like, guilt free.

I also don't eat any red meat, so if I want air-freighted tuna steaks I don't need M&S to put an obnoxious sticker on it to warn me of the perils of eating out of season.

And this one takes the biscuit: Tesco own brand cartons of juice now have a little panel on it telling you how much carbon each carton has produced.... And yet they create throwaway school uniforms at £5 for a whole outfit!!!! Whatever happened to hand-me-downs?

 

[J-Wholesale]

What does 'eco friendly' mean? Who defines eco friendly? And who polices the eco friendliness of products that market themselves in that way?

When I see a product advertised as eco friendly, I simply don't believe it. There are exceptions, of course, but I view most claims of eco friendliness as little more than a marketing ploy.

On top of that, the definition of what is and is not eco friendly changes every 5 minutes, or depending on the interests of the person or group who has the floor. One day we're told to buy local produce, the next we're told not to because of how that local produce is produced. Is factory farmed UK better than organic Spanish?

 

[BusinessRookie]

This poll confirms what I suspected. I see a lot of businesses focus heavily on an eco-friendly angle like it's the 'must do' thing these days, but I never imagined it making that much of a real impact to sales. It might sway the odd client or two, but I don't think it should replace or 'push down' other important benefits when it comes to sales copy and advertising.

This does of course depend on the industry. There are some built around this sort of thing where eco-friendliness is very important.

When you say 'eco friendly' do you literally mean environmental impact or does this cover ethics as well? Because if we are covering ethics at all then it's clearly a huge growth area as shown by the amount of Fairtrade products that now exist from major manufacturers and brands.

 

[Lee Jones Jnr]

I will and do buy products and produce from schemes such as fairtrade and product red which help people but I don't really care about global warming or my carbon footprint - scandalous I know, so eco friendly isn't high on my shopping agenda.

 

[SSCFIRSTSUPPLIES]

We use recycled products (paper and pens) for everyday business.

Our range of recycled goods are not always that much more expensive than the non recycled alternatives!

We have noticed a definite trend in businesses in our area becoming more and more commited to spending that extra small amount and feeling much happier about it!

Green products are widely available on our site!

Search for sscfirstsupplies!

Lauren and Rob

 

[sarah.m.dixon1]

For me it really depends on the price. If I can find an affordable eco-friendly product then I'll purchase it. But times are tough and these products can be really expendsive.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

When you say 'eco friendly' do you literally mean environmental impact or does this cover ethics as well? Because if we are covering ethics at all then it's clearly a huge growth area as shown by the amount of Fairtrade products that now exist from major manufacturers and brands.

Just because a business is selling these types of products, it doesn't mean they're being bought in such large quantities to rival non-Fairtrade products.

Fair enough if they're round about the same price, but I'm not sure how many businesses would really go the extra mile for 'eco friendliness' or ethics.

 

[vvaannmmaann]

There are some issues with the Fair Trade system.
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-an...the-truth-about-fair-trade-coffee-330807.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig4/winans6.html

 

Very interesting thread and i have to say i am surprised by some of the attitudes towards Eco friendly products.

I am Eco conscious and getting more and more so. I do look at my carbon footprint. I love to travel and will not give up flying and other things, so i offset things. There are plenty of no brainer ways to help the environment.

In terms of saving money and energy. I have a bulb that replaces a 60w incandescent that pays for itself in 1.6 years and has a lifespan over well over 20 years.
Incandescent and CFL bulbs all contain mercury, which means when they break they all go into landfill sites. LED's contain no mercury and are 100% recyclable. In fact eventually the company will offer to buy your bulb back from you so that we can recycle it. Pretty pointless offering this at the moment due to the lifespan of our products.

I wouldn't like to see more and more people adopt a more eco approach to their lives. It doesn't take much effort and can often work out to be seriously beneficial.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

In terms of saving money and energy. I have a bulb that replaces a 60w incandescent that pays for itself in 1.6 years and has a lifespan over well over 20 years.

If it takes 1.6 years, then it's either very expensive or it produces very little in-terms of money saved on electricity over a short period of time.

See, for stuff like that, I still think you need to be a die-hard 'eco friendliness' fan. If it takes 1.6 years to pay for itself, and if it requires any labour to install any special components, then people may be more inclined to simply buy a £2 energy saving bulb and pop it in.

 

If it takes 1.6 years, then it's either very expensive or it produces very little in-terms of money saved on electricity over a short period of time.

See, for stuff like that, I still think you need to be a die-hard 'eco friendliness' fan. If it takes 1.6 years to pay for itself, and if it requires any labour to install any special components, then people may be more inclined to simply buy a £2 energy saving bulb and pop it in.

Ah yes, an energy saving bulb that is full of mercury, that millions upon millions finish up in landfill at the end their lifes, than does not illuminate straight away, that still loses the majority of its energy through heat it produces, that doesn't create a very good source of light.

Yes, go and buy one of those for £2 - which by the way, won't be £2 for much longer as even the government has now woken up to these terrible bulbs that claim to be environmental and save energy. The government has pulled all funding and grants for CFL's.

So go buy your CFL and buy a terrible product for the environment and a sub standard lighting product.

Our LED bulbs for the home are £14.99 and £16.99. They are incredible value and the environmental benefits they have are massive. My bulbs are 70% more powerful than the Philips equivalent and 50% cheaper.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

Ah yes, an energy saving bulb that is full of mercury, that millions upon millions finish up in landfill at the end their lifes, than does not illuminate straight away, that still loses the majority of its energy through heat it produces, that doesn't create a very good source of light.
Yes, go and buy one of those for £2 - which by the way, won't be £2 for much longer as even the government has now woken up to these terrible bulbs that claim to be environmental and save energy. The government has pulled all funding and grants for CFL's.

So go buy your CFL and buy a terrible product for the environment and a sub standard lighting product.

Our LED bulbs for the home are £14.99 and £16.99. They are incredible value and the environmental benefits they have are massive. My bulbs are 70% more powerful than the Philips equivalent and 50% cheaper.

My point is though, do people REALLY care that much? I've never thought twice about the Mercury, and considering how many I go through (maybe having to replace one every few years) it doesn't really bother me. It certainly doesn't bother me enough to spend an extra 13 quid and recoup it in 1.6 years.

I'm not having a go at your product (which by your reply you may think I'm doing). I'm simply outlining whether the market is really as big as people believe. You may feel passionately about being environmentally friendly, but you can't force others to take on-board the same view.

I think a lot of your marketing efforts may be mostly spent on actually convincing people of what you've said up there.

 

My point is though, do people REALLY care that much? I've never thought twice about the Mercury, and considering how many I go through (maybe having to replace one every few years) it doesn't really bother me. It certainly doesn't bother me enough to spend an extra 13 quid and recoup it in 1.6 years.

I'm not having a go at your product (which by your reply you may think I'm doing). I'm simply outlining whether the market is really as big as people believe. You may feel passionately about being environmentally friendly, but you can't force others to take on-board the same view.

I think a lot of your marketing efforts may be mostly spent on actually convincing people of what you've said up there.

You have never thought twice about Mercury as you haven't been aware how toxic the stuff is and how every single incandescent and CFL bulb that breaks goes into land fill. Regardless of how that effects you, do you think its a good idea and do you think it is in some way going to be harmful in the future?

Not caring, how does it bother me, what do i get out of it is the biggest battle people face when dealing with opinion on eco, climate etc issues. Some of which are very serious. The amount this planet wastes needlessly is disgusting.

All the issues i have raised about LED may not bother you. You do not care it will save you a lot of money, you don't care about the environment, you do not care about the better quality light, etc etc. Your opinions and beliefs have been firmly nailed to the post. You are right i don't and won't force anything on anyone. The market for LED is good. The benefits are vast for every type of user and it doesn't take much to see this.

I just hope that the majority of people do not share your opinions towards eco products and i hope more people are open minded enough to consider changing things they do and use for the better of our planet and future generations. It really doesn't take much to do your bit. No one is asking anyone to live in mud huts and generate their own electricity with a hamster in a wheel. Far from it.

It just takes an open mind and some effort. Not everyone has this.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

You have never thought twice about Mercury as you haven't been aware how toxic the stuff is and how every single incandescent and CFL bulb that breaks goes into land fill. Regardless of how that effects you, do you think its a good idea and do you think it is in some way going to be harmful in the future?

No I haven't been aware. How am I going to be made aware though. Are you going to spend time convincing the mass public about how awful these energy-saving bulbs are?

It might be harmful, I don't know. All I know is that whether I stop disposing of my 1 bulb per year or not, millions will still be used, and I don't think it's going to make much of a difference. So, for convenience, I will continue to buy them. I'm sure a lot of people are the same. That's just the honest truth.

Not caring, how does it bother me, what do i get out of it is the biggest battle people face when dealing with opinion on eco, climate etc issues. Some of which are very serious. The amount this planet wastes needlessly is disgusting.

How does it bother you? Well you need a market to sell your LED bulbs. If not, you'll simply have to sell to the die-hard eco people.

All the issues i have raised about LED may not bother you. You do not care it will save you a lot of money, you don't care about the environment, you do not care about the better quality light, etc etc. Your opinions and beliefs have been firmly nailed to the post. You are right i don't and won't force anything on anyone. The market for LED is good. The benefits are vast for every type of user and it doesn't take much to see this.

I just hope that the majority of people do not share your opinions towards eco products and i hope more people are open minded enough to consider changing things they do and use for the better of our planet and future generations. It really doesn't take much to do your bit. No one is asking anyone to live in mud huts and generate their own electricity with a hamster in a wheel. Far from it.

It just takes an open mind and some effort. Not everyone has this.

See this is your problem. I've constructively discussed your product and my views and you've clearly taken some offence by stating that I'm not open minded. If you react this way to every person who doesn't share your clearly passionate views about climate-change, then you'll have some difficulty selling your product and appealing to the potential market.

Of course I care about the environment. However, if I'm faced with the choice of a £2 energy-saving bulb which I've used for years, and a £16 LED light, I'll need convincing there and then of why I should part with an extra 14 quid for a single bulb. Making my £16 back over a year and a half doesn't cut it for me, and neither does getting them to avoid disposing of about one energy-saving bulb every year.

Maybe the light is far superior. If I saw a demo, then I might buy them. My point is, you might be able to sell these to the very eco aware folk out there, but for the average person you may need to work hard to convince them. Not everyone will be able to 'see the light' so clearly.

 

[jncc]

We provide a service which happens to be very environmentally-friendly and I must say that only about 5-10% of prospects I've approached have seemed to care about that side of it, and a good 30-50% are put-off by the idea.

 

No I haven't been aware. How am I going to be made aware though. Are you going to spend time convincing the mass public about how awful these energy-saving bulbs are?

It might be harmful, I don't know. All I know is that whether I stop disposing of my 1 bulb per year or not, millions will still be used, and I don't think it's going to make much of a difference. So, for convenience, I will continue to buy them. I'm sure a lot of people are the same. That's just the honest truth.

How does it bother you? Well you need a market to sell your LED bulbs. If not, you'll simply have to sell to the die-hard eco people.

See this is your problem. I've constructively discussed your product and my views and you've clearly taken some offence by stating that I'm not open minded. If you react this way to every person who doesn't share your clearly passionate views about climate-change, then you'll have some difficulty selling your product and appealing to the potential market.

Of course I care about the environment. However, if I'm faced with the choice of a £2 energy-saving bulb which I've used for years, and a £16 LED light, I'll need convincing there and then of why I should part with an extra 14 quid for a single bulb. Making my £16 back over a year and a half doesn't cut it for me, and neither does getting them to avoid disposing of about one energy-saving bulb every year.

Maybe the light is far superior. If I saw a demo, then I might buy them. My point is, you might be able to sell these to the very eco aware folk out there, but for the average person you may need to work hard to convince them. Not everyone will be able to 'see the light' so clearly.

Scott,

I've have stated time and time again why my, and other LED bulbs around the £16 mark that are of the sufficient quality are tremendous value and have a huge positive impact on the environment. If you cannot see how a bulb that pays for itself after 1.6 years and then goes on to have a lifespan of at least 18.4 years, with savings on energy bills of up to 90% year on year, then i really cannot help you.

Plenty of people find these savings very easy to qualify and certainly business and industry are seriously keen to switch to LED lighting. Two of the biggest privately owned property companies in the UK will be using our bulbs from now on to light all their properties and venues. They are spending a large amount of money up front to switch to LED because they can see all the benefits.

I have a global hotel chain that are interested in testing our products for a year in one of their hotels.

So the people who care the most about price and value are the ones who can see the product is going to save them significant money, whilst being serious environmental and not compromising on quality in anyway, in fact the light quality increases.

I'm going to withdraw from this discussion. I do not need someone telling me i have 'problems' and i certainly do not need some arrogant person telling how to market and sell my own products. You know very little about LED, you know very little about the market and the industry yet you deem yourself qualified to tell me how i should be marketing my products.

Absolutely unbelievable.

 

[lww]

Our product is very environmentally friendly - it's 100% recyclable and made in Great Britain, whereas our only competitors are non-UK based and either not recyclable or made in China... hardly an environmentally-friendly option! However we currently only have one "eco-retailer" who stocks us. We have had a couple of retailers comment that our green credentials were important in their decision making, but they didn't say it was vital - so I think it helps but is not the be-all-and-end-all.

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

Scott,

I've have stated time and time again why my, and other LED bulbs around the £16 mark that are of the sufficient quality are tremendous value and have a huge positive impact on the environment. If you cannot see how a bulb that pays for itself after 1.6 years and then goes on to have a lifespan of at least 18.4 years, with savings on energy bills of up to 90% year on year, then i really cannot help you.

Well, as a home-owner, I can see that the bulb pays for itself in 1.6 years, but, considering the amounts involved, that isn't a big deal to me. I only have about 8 bulbs in the whole place, they work, they're cheap to run, and if one goes I can pop down to Asda and replace it for a few quid. You need to do some selling if you want to break people out of similar cycles.

I know the eco-friendly aspect doesn't influence my choice much (sorry) so if the lighting is far superior, then I may fork out the extra dosh for them.

Plenty of people find these savings very easy to qualify and certainly business and industry are seriously keen to switch to LED lighting. Two of the biggest privately owned property companies in the UK will be using our bulbs from now on to light all their properties and venues. They are spending a large amount of money up front to switch to LED because they can see all the benefits.

I have a global hotel chain that are interested in testing our products for a year in one of their hotels.

So the people who care the most about price and value are the ones who can see the product is going to save them significant money, whilst being serious environmental and not compromising on quality in anyway, in fact the light quality increases.

Well that's probably where these LED lights become worthwhile. I can see how the cost efficiency would make someone take notice if there were many hundreds of bulbs involved. If you want to stick with business clients who are looking for cost efficiency then that's great. However, I do wonder how many of them are only buying them just to save money.

I'm going to withdraw from this discussion. I do not need someone telling me i have 'problems' and i certainly do not need some arrogant person telling how to market and sell my own products. You know very little about LED, you know very little about the market and the industry yet you deem yourself qualified to tell me how i should be marketing my products.

Absolutely unbelievable.

Well you shouldn't be marketing your products like how you've spoke to me. I know that much. I simply disagreed with your views slightly, gave you the honest truth about how an average person may perceive your product, and you've clearly taken offence to it. It's like a vegetarian taking offence because I continue to eat meat.

It's just a constructive debate about these types of products and the genuine market size. You're one side of the debate, I'm the other. If you're going to go in a huff because I'm nowhere near as passionate about you as eco-friendliness then that's your problem.

I'm curious about these products, and I've asked you in this thread to convince me of how good they really are, and convince me of why I should pay £16 for one. You've told me some facts, I've disputed them and you've taken offence. :|

The reason I provided some advice is because you were clearly surprised by the results of this thread:

Very interesting thread and i have to say i am surprised by some of the attitudes towards Eco friendly products.

So there's something worthwhile to learn from the poll results - that perhaps some businesses aren't as bothered about eco-friendliness as the media and hearsay portrays.

 

Well, as a home-owner, I can see that the bulb pays for itself in 1.6 years, but, considering the amounts involved, that isn't a big deal to me. I only have about 8 bulbs in the whole place, they work, they're cheap to run, and if one goes I can pop down to Asda and replace it for a few quid. You need to do some selling if you want to break people out of similar cycles.

I know the eco-friendly aspect doesn't influence my choice much (sorry) so if the lighting is far superior, then I may fork out the extra dosh for them.

Well that's probably where these LED lights become worthwhile. I can see how the cost efficiency would make someone take notice if there were many hundreds of bulbs involved. If you want to stick with business clients who are looking for cost efficiency then that's great. However, I do wonder how many of them are only buying them just to save money.

Well you shouldn't be marketing your products like how you've spoke to me. I know that much. I simply disagreed with your views slightly, gave you the honest truth about how an average person may perceive your product, and you've clearly taken offence to it. It's like a vegetarian taking offence because I continue to eat meat.

It's just a constructive debate about these types of products and the genuine market size. You're one side of the debate, I'm the other. If you're going to go in a huff because I'm nowhere near as passionate about you as eco-friendliness then that's your problem.

I'm curious about these products, and I've asked you in this thread to convince me of how good they really are, and convince me of why I should pay £16 for one. You've told me some facts, I've disputed them and you've taken offence. :|

The reason I provided some advice is because you were clearly surprised by the results of this thread:

So there's something worthwhile to learn from the poll results - that perhaps some businesses aren't as bothered about eco-friendliness as the media and hearsay portrays.

Scott,

I don't care for your opinions or your manner. It's no huff, i simply won't be told how to sell and market my products from someone who has no knowledge of the products or the industry.

I don't use this site to enhance my self importance and ego. I'm simply here to give people help and advice on LED in a genuine way and see if others can help me and answer some questions.

You clearly have a whole different agenda.

Let's leave it there :|

Chris

 

[Spock]

Come on guys chill out

I try to buy eco-friendly products if I can, as long as it's not loads more money. I think sometimes we are being charged more just for the label. It's the same with organic food, although the price difference is coming down.

For the canvases we sell we only buy wooden stretcher bars that are FSC approved, meaning they are traceable to sustainable forests. It only costs us a tiny bit more but I would rather do my bit and not give customers the choice. It's also something we can shout about. I think most people see it as a bonus if they are buying something which has a green angle to it.

 

[jncc]

If I was paying my own energy bills (I am currently not) then I wouldn't hesitate to pay £16 or whatever for an LED arrangement if, after doing the sums, I saw that I would be "in profit" after a couple of years.


My background is in chemistry and the biological sciences, and so I am perhaps more "aware" of different pollutants and what they actually are and why they're a problem. To scientifically-illiterate people (the vast majority of the population) I suppose all these chemicals are completely meaningless and their effects impossible to understand.

FWIW, Carbon dioxide is pretty far down my list of concerning pollutants, haha. I actually "don't care" at all about CO2 and global warming, but am absolutely all for more sustainable ways of working and living, and am very much concerned about other pollutants.

 

[virtuallysorted]

Scott,

I don't care for your opinions or your manner. It's no huff, i simply won't be told how to sell and market my products from someone who has no knowledge of the products or the industry.

I don't use this site to enhance my self importance and ego. I'm simply here to give people help and advice on LED in a genuine way and see if others can help me and answer some questions.

You clearly have a whole different agenda.

Let's leave it there :|

Chris

The thing is Chris - if you are marketing to consumers, Scott *IS* your market.

My mum switched to LED lights a couple of years ago in her downstairs to save energy and not have to replace the darn fiddly bulbs all the time. The light isn't like those horrible eco-bulbs - it's very normal - so BIG plus. They still need replacing though so I'm not convinced by the argument that they are supposed to last 20-odd years.

I too, would rather spend £2 on Asda bulbs, be able to get them quickly, afford a few spares, have nice light which you can actually use. And I'm not going to save that much money on a domestic scale, and my energy is green anyway so I'm not really affecting the environment that much anyway by having high-energy lights.

My argument is that there are loads of very devastating things that people/companies/governments do to the environment, my contribution truly is minimal - I'd rather they sorted out the big stuff first rather than having a go at me for using non-energy saving lightbulbs.

 

The thing is Chris - if you are marketing to consumers, Scott *IS* your market.

My mum switched to LED lights a couple of years ago in her downstairs to save energy and not have to replace the darn fiddly bulbs all the time. The light isn't like those horrible eco-bulbs - it's very normal - so BIG plus. They still need replacing though so I'm not convinced by the argument that they are supposed to last 20-odd years.

I too, would rather spend £2 on Asda bulbs, be able to get them quickly, afford a few spares, have nice light which you can actually use. And I'm not going to save that much money on a domestic scale, and my energy is green anyway so I'm not really affecting the environment that much anyway by having high-energy lights.

My argument is that there are loads of very devastating things that people/companies/governments do to the environment, my contribution truly is minimal - I'd rather they sorted out the big stuff first rather than having a go at me for using non-energy saving lightbulbs.

With all due respect, Scott is a minimal % of my market. Anyway, i like to deal with people on a personal and respectful level and i will not have someone tell me how to run my business, how to market my products when they have zero experience and knowledge of the products and industry we are talking about. It's arrogance personified. Not interested in that in anyway

There are a lot of LED products in the market place. Majority of them are sub standard and in all honesty a load of rubbish. They claim to do things they cannot. In all new markets you get a whole range of products rushed to the shops claiming to do all the things people have heard about. Long Life span, great light, uses less energy, saves on bills. The good, quality LED's will do exactly that and the claims that are made are 100% true.

A lot of LED's you find, especially those bought from B&Q etc are shocking, cheap examples of LED's.

My business exists so that anyone buying a product from me knows they are buying the best LED product the market has to offer. We have a very small selection of bulbs and do not over complicate things. If you want a specific LED product, we know where to find it and can get it for you. For example someone asked me if there were any LED grow lamps. I know the best in the market and the company that sell them.

My company does not take manufacturers facts and figures as true until we have completely tested the product ourselves. We are currently the only LED company in the UK that does this for the domestic market.

Our bulbs do exactly what we say they do. We also offer a full refund on any product bought, that people don't think lives up to our description. We haven't yet had any bulbs returned to us at all by customers.

You have to be careful with LED as you can buy expensive sub standard products. If i can help advise in anyway, thats what i am here for.

Thanks

Chris

 

[LisaV]

I was horrified recently to discover that the own brand eco-friendly washing up liquid I had been buying had been made from palm oil. Not very eco-friendly at all then when you consider that palm plantations are destroying the rain forests and subsequently destroying the homes and communities that live in the rain forests.

When it comes to soap, washing liquid and powder I do try and buy eco-friendly brands. Not just because they contain less harmful toxins but also because my husband has psoriasis and my daughter eczema so it's better for their skin.

 

I was horrified recently to discover that the own brand eco-friendly washing up liquid I had been buying had been made from palm oil. Not very eco-friendly at all then when you consider that palm plantations are destroying the rain forests and subsequently destroying the homes and communities that live in the rain forests.

When it comes to soap, washing liquid and powder I do try and buy eco-friendly brands. Not just because they contain less harmful toxins but also because my husband has psoriasis and my daughter eczema so it's better for their skin.

Yes and don't even get me started on the Prius

Do you mind me asking what eco friendly brands you are buying that help your daughters eczema. My g/f has it and thus far have found no products that really help much at all.

Thanks

Chris

 

[Scott-Copywriter]

If I was paying my own energy bills (I am currently not) then I wouldn't hesitate to pay £16 or whatever for an LED arrangement if, after doing the sums, I saw that I would be "in profit" after a couple of years.

I'm the same, but it depends on the profit. So let me get this straight. If I spent over £100 replacing every bulb in my home with an LED light, I'd make £100 of electricity bill savings after 1.6 years?

That's a saving of roundabout £5 per month. Savings are savings, but I'd probably need more to actually bring myself to spend over £100 on these things when those energy-saving ones do the job fine for £2. If the light IS far superior then hey, that might be all I need to make the leap.

My background is in chemistry and the biological sciences, and so I am perhaps more "aware" of different pollutants and what they actually are and why they're a problem. To scientifically-illiterate people (the vast majority of the population) I suppose all these chemicals are completely meaningless and their effects impossible to understand.

FWIW, Carbon dioxide is pretty far down my list of concerning pollutants, haha. I actually "don't care" at all about CO2 and global warming, but am absolutely all for more sustainable ways of working and living, and am very much concerned about other pollutants.

That's my point. I know fine-well that Mercury is poisonous stuff, but what is actually happening when these energy-saving bulbs are being dumped in landfills? How much Mercury is there? I know I'm still here alive and well, and I haven't noticed any mass devastation of plants or wildlife.

Will me dumping a single energy-saving bulb in a landfill once per year cause more pollution than when I use my car everyday to pick the missus up from work? Does that pollution justify me spending £100 on some lights when my existing ones work perfectly fine? The selling message just isn't strong enough for me, and probably isn't strong enough for a lot of folk.

This is the kind of stuff Chris has to convince the average person of if he wants to sell these lights in the mass market. Unfortunately he seems to take offence to my simple constructive advice. That's what happens when a lowly average joe disputes an eco-warrior .

 

[Ian Feingold]

Going back to the question, such is the demand for eco friendly products, we (and many of my competitors) have had to set up bespoke websites selling eco friendly promotional products...mainly being bought by the public sector.

 

[Gill]

Oh how interesting!

I make eco friendly cleaning products and they are hideously expensive. I would apologise for the price but could look anybody in the eye and say that this is what they cost to produce due to the quality of ingredient and method of manufacture.

I am of course concerned about the environment but what concerns me more is the primary user of the cleaning product and the people these products are inflicted upon (family, friends). I am tired of being passive air freshenered!

If you look on the label of any food item that you buy every single ingredient is listed - if you choose to eat fat and salt laden products that is up to you - at least you made an informed choice - with personal care products whilst you may not know what some of the ingredients are (poloysolymolybate 123) I just made that up - they are still there and you have a choice - in the case of a reaction you could Google the ingredient to find out what it was - in the case of cleaning products - look for yourself - contains - 'amongst other ingredients' what other ingredients? What are they? I like this to a stranger giving me a tablet and saying 'take this it is great'. Now I am sure this happens every night across the country, not something I would do but I am sure plenty do - but would you offer the same tablet from the stranger to your children because someone had said it was great - chances are - no you wouldn't.
Ok that is a bit extreme but the principle remains the same.

I simply don't understand why we accept this vague labelling, it seems literally incredible.
I know exactly what my family are putting into their bodies as I cook from scratch each day and I do use locally sourced seasonal ingredients, because I always have.

I choose natural personal skincare products, again locally sourced, (or make my own) because they are reasonably priced and just as effective and I make my own cleaning products. So I know what goes onto into and around my family. It matters hugely to me. This lifestyle is not more expensive, it is rewarding. It actually is not as time consuming as you might think.

I have always recycled and my children do indeed wear hand me downs - we repair, we make do and mend - we expect to pay for quality, we look after things, we value them - we are actively trying to reduce our consumption of resources and make greener choices throughout our lives - but I also have to be realistic. I think that the term green could be replaced with 'responsible' we should all make responsible choices. I also think it is plain common sense, mind you that seems in short supply - oh I shall have to go for a lie down now.

If you do one thing, please stop with the air fresheners - you do not know what is in them, you do not know what the long term effects are, they are the biggest waste of money - clean properly and they are totally unnecessary.

Sorry, sermon over. I do choose carefully and will always go for the greenest option after having researched and evaluating claims, the price then is unimportant to me (within reason!).

Gill

 

IThe selling message just isn't strong enough for me, and probably isn't strong enough for a lot of folk.

This is the kind of stuff Chris has to convince the average person of if he wants to sell these lights in the mass market. Unfortunately he seems to take offence to my simple constructive advice. That's what happens when a lowly average joe disputes an eco-warrior .

1) Now your speaking for 'a lot of folk' despite not knowing the market? Your ignorance continues to know no bounds.
The selling message is very strong and very simple.

2) Simple constructive advice? Telling me i have problems and how to market my products despite no knowledge of the industry is constructive advice? I'll refrain from saying what i think to that.

3) You think an awful lot of yourself don't you? I can see you have an ego to feed and you use this site to feed it. Maybe you could setup a business that gives companies marketing advice based on absolutely no knowledge or experience of their products or market place. I'm sure it will go down about as well as your 'advice' to me on here has.

You need to be very careful who's advice you trust and give respect to on places like this.

 

[Gill]

Time, gentlemen please....