wrote in message
...
I would expect the cost of production to be reflected in the cost to
the purchaser. The most recent CFLs I bought cost me 68 pence each.
Now, they may have been subsidised, but the end result is that they
are not that expensive these days.

I assume you work.You have paid for the subsidy with your taxes.

I even got some 'free' from my
electricity supplier. Those are useless to me - I would have preferred
an equivalent reduction in my electricity bill, as I will have paid
for their administration, source of the (useless) CFLs, postage and
packing in my electricity bill.

Again, your taxes, not profit deducted from your supplier

As for disposal, most people will simply chuck them in the household
waste to go to landfill or incineration. Whether they should is a
different matter, but without an adequate infrastructure for their
proper disposal, that is what will happen.

All the more reason not to force them on us

Perhaps what should have been put in place is a deposit scheme on
CFLs, such that returning unbroken ones got you (say) a pound back,
and a returning one with a smashed tube got you 50p - anyone supplying
CFLs having to participate in the deposit scheme.

I have to pay 15p for each low energy lamp I purchace at the wholesalers. It
is called the WEEE charge. Soon they may be charging 5p for a carrier bag as
well.

Adam