Congratulations! If you are reading this, you are hopefully the proud recipient of a free Greenpeace compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). These bulbs are the future - low energy, low cost, and good for the environment. Traditional incandescent bulbs waste 95 per cent - yes, that's 95 per cent - of the energy going into them as heat. That's not only bad for the environment, it's very expensive for the consumer. CFLs save customers over £9 per bulb per year, far outweighing the initial cost of the bulb.
That's why Greenpeace are asking Woolworths to take them off the shelves during 2008. We believe that by doing this, you'd be sending a really strong signal to your competitors that not only are you interested in giving your customers the best value product you can possibly sell, but you care about the environment as well.
We know Woolworths has, like many other retailers, decided to gradually phase out the most inefficient bulbs over the next few years, but we believe you can and should do better because it's what your customers want. We've collected thousands of signatures from Woolworths customers across the country, written on the flags you've probably seen outside your building. These customers are asking your company to remove all incandescent bulbs from your shelves, not in four or five years time, but this year.
If Woolworths makes a pledge to remove these bulbs by next year, you'll be making us happy and, far more importantly, you'll be making your customers happy. We'll be communicating with your board, trying to persuade them that this move makes a lot of sense, but you can also help. What we need from you is a bit of background noise - send an email to your line manager, discuss the issue in the canteen, think about what it could bring to the brand.
We want to be proud of what Woolworths stands for - are you?
