Reuters is reporting that HP has been awarded a green prize by Wal-Mart (hardly the most environmentally friendly of companies but anyway) for packaging a notebook in a recyclable bag rather than the usual four-inch think cardboard.

HP's Pavilion dv6929, which Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores are selling for $798, was singled out for a design that reduces packaging by 97 percent and requires a fourth fewer trucks to deliver to stores, given its smaller size when packaged, Wal-Mart said in a statement.

(It's not clear from this release what protection the bag offers - maybe there is still some other packaging to provide cushioning etc)

Environmentally issues aside, the idea of a recyclable bag makes a lot more sense as at least this now means that you don't have to worry about keeping five pounds of cardboard in your spare room in case you decide to return the thing.

Now we just need HP and other notebook makes to do something about the plastic they use to encase their notebooks, and other non-recyclable components in the device -- so the computer becomes as recyclable as its packaging.