Green Wombat

In another sign of Wal-Mart’s power to put the economy on a more sustainable path, the retail giant today said it is working with light bulb makers GE (GE), Royal Philips (PHG),  Osram Sylvania and Lights of America to slash the mercury content of high-efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs by an average 33 percent. Mercury is a toxic substance and its use in CFLs presents a conundrum for the widespread adoption of light bulbs that use 70 percent less electricity than traditional incandescent lighting: will using CFLs to lower greenhouse gases  create a hazardous waste nightmare? Others worry that consumers will be less likely to buy CFLs if they can’t just toss them in the rubbish bin when they burn out – though the bulbs’ lifespan is about 10 years. Wal-Mart (WMT) has committed to selling 100 million CFLs by 2008 and it also has launched a campaign to work with its suppliers to reduce the environmental impact of their manufacturing processes. The light bulb manufacturers will reduce the mercury content of their CFLs as much as 50 percent below the 5 milligram per bulb standard set by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association. “People concerned about the environment and their health can buy these CFLs with a clear conscience,” said Natural Resources Defense Council senior scientist  Noah Horowitz in a statement released by Wal-Mart. The retailer also cited U.S. EPA stats that found that a coal-fired power plant emits four times the mercury to power an incandescent bulb than a CFL.