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CD and DVD Packaging: How to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Media Packaging

Author: Tara Roitman Author Ranking Blue | Posted: 23-06-2008 | Comments: 1 | Views: 45 | Rating:  (78) Article Popularity - Blue (?) Got a Question? Ask.
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In the past few years, "going green" has become very important for almost every type of business. The CD and DVD packaging industry have been no different. In fact, promoting environmentally friendly products has become a major marketing focus. So what are your options if you want to package your media and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time?

Your first option is to limit the amount of plastic in the packaging that you use for your CD or DVD. Packaging has always focussed on the use of plastics mainly because plastics are cheap and easy to use. The industry standard for an audio CD is still the jewel case which is made of polystyrene. The industry standard for the DVD is the Amaray DVD case which is made of polypropylene and the new box for the Blu-ray will also be made of this material. Keeping the sizes and styles of alternative packaging similar to the industry standards has been very important when developing a solution which consumers would recognise and accept. The Digipak is a fantastic alternative to the jewel case and the DVD case. It is made mostly of thick printed card and only includes plastic trays as the holders for the CD or DVD. The digipak can hold several discs by increasing the number of panels and it can also hold booklets and small promotional items. It looks expensive and impressive because of the large amount of space available for graphic display.

Another option is to eliminate the plastic altogether and use packaging made entirely out of card. In these types of packaging, the CD or DVD is held in die-cut slots or paper holders. You can keep it very simple and use a printed card wallet or you try something special like the Disc Box Slider. A new and ingenious product available is the Jakebox which holds the media in a patented paper "claw". In addition, you can request that the card used for the creation of the packaging is recycled. Paper types such as Resa offset are made of 100% post consumer recycled fibres instead of virgin fibres. If you like the idea of a tray, there is a product called the Paperfoam tray which is made of starch and cellulose. It can be used in the place of plastic trays in products such as the digipak. This product has already been used in music releases for artists such as Keane and Motley Crue.

A third option, which can be used in combination with the above choices, is to request the usage of soy or vegetable based inks in the printing process. Not many manufacturers offer this at the moment but it is increasing in popularity.

Keep in mind that there are significant additional costs to the production of environmentally friendly packaging. In quantities around 1000 units, the costs for recycled paper and vegetable based inks can triple the standard pricing. If your budget can handle this not only will you feel good about the low environmental impact; you will also have distinct packaging that will gather more attention from your prospects.

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About the Author:
Tara Roitman is the marketing manager for Media Heaven Ltd - full service experts in CD and DVD duplication, CD and DVD packaging and USB memory stick duplication.
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1. Werner Willemse (02:01, 22.09.2008)
I couldn't agree more. Media packaging formats have an unnecessary enormous carbon footprint. Too many companies, or advertising executives in the DVD packaging sector produce lack luster DVD packaging designs with little regard for the resources at their disposal. There are a wide variety of DVD packaging methods that can be leveraged to help sell DVDs. One of the novel concepts available that are seldom utilized is the use of packaging materials from renewable resources. Many of the content providers in Hollywood demand that their products are packaged in environmentally friendly formats. This benefits both the environment and it benefits their own sales; -a win win situation!

DVDs are mostly wrapped in clear BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) films that are petroleum based while alternative materials from non petroleum based sources are readily available, sometimes even at lower costs. Nature works (http://www.natureworksllc.com) is an example of a company that produces eco-friendly packaging films. Another environmentally friendly DVD packaging alternative is a potato-starch based DVD / Blu-Ray Disc packaging format produced by a company called Paperfoam ( http://www.paperfoam.com ). Yet another untapped resource is the use of specialty inks in the printing of DVD title sheets. A wide variety of specialty inks are available that provide a high gloss finish on very porous low grade recycled paper. Customers can enjoy the savings offered by economical low gloss porous paper that inhibit the wicking of inks compounded with the saving of using less ink. Automated DVD packaging machines often require some specialization to ensure compatibility with these materials. Packaging machines from Digital Media Automation ( http://www.DMA-Incorporated.com ) are designed to perform optimally on most materials including eco-friendly materials that often pose problems to automated machines.

Using eco-friendly packaging methods or materials derived from renewable resources isn't necessarily more expensive than traditional packaging methods. Its often less expensive, esthetically more pleasing, and furthermore appeals to an ever expanding “green” demographic.

Werner Willemse
+1 (858) 673-8505 USA
http://www.DMA-Incorporated.com

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