We’ve all been there before: standing at the hardware store inspecting an endless display of light bulbs, trying to discern which one is right for us. To be honest, it’s a bit stressful and a bit difficult to understand the lighting jargon. Lumens, watts, volts—what do they mean?
The packaging should clearly display information that will help us select the bulb that best suits our lighting needs. The label should emphasize lumens (which measure brightness), rather than watts (which measure energy use). Currently, reliance on watt measurements alone has made it difficult for us to compare traditional incandescent bulbs to more efficient bulbs, such as compact fluorescents. Labels should also display yearly energy cost, so consumers can understand that though an LED bulb may be more expensive initially, it can save an estimated $108 on electricity bills over a lifetime of use.
In addition to changing the label, we need to redesign LED packaging itself, which is made of plastics. These are primarily manufactured from oil and natural gas, which are both non-renewable resources. Additionally, nearly all of the molecules that plastic factories have produced for decades are still with us and will remain with us for centuries. These microscopic particles of plastic litter the landscape, oceans, and enter the food chain.
With these design problems in mind, I began crafting my undergraduate senior thesis last year. I chose to combine my passion for graphic design and curiosity in paper engineering by creating more socially-responsible LED packaging. My goal was to create a packaging solution that was glue-free, constructed from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, and was manufactured carbon-neutral. In addition, my design would promote a system where consumers could easily send their used compact fluorescent bulbs to a recycling facility upon the end of their life, as the package also serves as a prepaid return-shipping container.
