A while ago we wrote an article explaining the different types of light bulbs on the market called Eco-Friendly Light Bulbs. Many manufacturers of incandescent light bulbs now sell compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) for their energy efficiency, but many of their practices are still not very eco-friendly. We have found a great company that has put sustainability as its highest priority: Earthmate. 

Earthmate not only produces CFLs, they have created new standards for the industry to not only save energy, but to also reduce greenhouse gases and help stop global warming. They have made changes to how the lights are made. For instance, their CFLs contain 75% less mercury than most CFLs on the market today. They have also made changes to how they sell their product. The packaging is made out of 100% post consumer materials, and is labeled with soy ink, which is a huge change compared to most CFLs on the market being sold in plastic containers that require scissors for opening. To complete the process for their customers, they encourage their customers to find recycling centers in their community to recycle light bulbs when they are no longer usable. You can go to Earth911.org to find a recycling center in your area.

Earthmate lights can be purchased at Amazon.comwith prices 40% lower than department stores. We support Earthmate, because they not only made a green product, but they have also taken the concept of sustainability to the heart of their company.

Incandescent light bulbs have ruled the market for a very long time, and now it is time other forms of light bulbs took over! Out of all the energy used to power an incandescent light bulb, only 5 to 8 percent is actually used in producing light. I bet we can do better than that. Let’s take a look at three viable options.

One of the possible replacement candidates is the halogen light bulb. This kind of light bulb is more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs. The main drawback with them is that they reach a very high temperature and may damage your light fixture or even cause a fire. In order to use these light bulbs it’s recommended to use specific light fixtures made for halogen light bulbs only.

Another kind of light bulb is the fluorescent light bulb. These bulbs used to cost more than your regular incandescent lights, but now you can find fluorescent for cheaper! They use 60 to 80 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs. The modern versions offer a clearer light and don’t take as long to light up as the older fluorescent light bulbs did.

Finally, there are LED light bulbs. These bulbs use a small fraction of the energy of incandescent light bulbs and have a lifetime 10 times longer. The main drawback? It produces a light beam instead of illuminating the whole room. Even though it’s the most efficient one, the applications of theses bulbs are very limited and will not satisfy most of us.

And the winner is: Fluorescent light bulbs! They’re your best option when you want to combine value, quality, and performance. Check out this link at Home Depot or this link at Lowe’s for eco-friendly lights. Purchase Compact Fluorescent Lights Bulbs at Amazon.com. If you don’t already own fluorescent light bulbs, what are you waiting for? Hard to find much cheaper ways to green your home.

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