So, you decided to get solar-powered garden lights. You thought it was a harmless act, or perhaps you were helping the environment, because they're solar-powered, right?
Consider what would have happened if solar garden lights didn't exist. Would you definitely have installed ones connected to your household electricity? What with the cost of electric, the annoyance of laying wires, the expensive upkeep? Of course not (unless you happen to own a mansion, in which case you probably bought larger, better mains-powered lights regardless). It's only because solar lights are cheap and easy to install that they became fashionable, and you took advantage of that.
So, your choice wasn't solar lights vs mains lights, it was solar lights vs nothing. The construction of solar lights uses a lot of resources, whereas nothing - well, nothing is the ultimate environmental innovation.
Solar garden lights are neither an environmental innovation nor an environmental alternative. That was just a marketing gimmick, a ploy to get you to feel good about yourself while buying them.
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Addendum (24.09.22): Always-on phone displays are another false god of environmental innovation. Apple are the latest to roll out this technnological abomination to more of their phones.
In today's world, what's the great idea of wasting electricity for the 99% of time when you have your phone switched off but want to see what time it is? What's the harm in switching the phone on, or using a watch?
"But it only uses a tiny amount of electricity"... said three billion mobile phone users.
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