Hewlett-Packard, responding to a challenge by Wal-Mart Stores to offer more ecologically friendly products, said Wednesday that it was selling a new notebook computer in a fabric messenger bag instead of packaging it in a box.

The change reduced by 97 percent the foam, cardboard and plastic used in packaging, Hewlett-Packard, which is based in Palo Alto, California, said in a statement.

The new computer, the Pavilion PC, went on sale for $798 Wednesday at nearly 1,700 Wal-Mart outlets and 594 Sam’s Club stores in the United States.

Hewlett-Packard, the largest maker of personal computers, has been trying to win by environmentally conscious customers by promoting its recycling programs for printers and PCs and by improving the energy efficiency of its machines.

With the new packaging, the company plus can ship 25 percent more computers in each truck, reducing transportation costs, said Dana Harrold, marketing manager for consumer notebook products.

Wal-Mart, the largest

retailer in the world, started a contest in May 2007 that asked 30 consumer-electronics suppliers to rethink product design and packaging. Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, will gauge customers’ interest in the packaging, Shannon Frederick, a spokeswoman, said.

Lexmark universal, Sanyo Electric and Philips Electronics were among the other companies that entered the Wal-Mart contest. Frederick declined to reveal the full list of companies that submitted entries.

Wal-Mart judged the products on three criteria: design, product innovation that reduces environmental impact, and packaging design that reduces waste and the use of toxic materials.

considering of its size, Wal-Mart is considered one of the few retailers with ample clout to directly change global energy consumption.

The company has set a long-term goal of using only renewable energy and creating zero waste. It has challenged its suppliers to cut back on packaging and to increase energy efficiency in their products.

Original post by dhiram