Earth friendly CD cases

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» Home » Blogs » Earth friendly CD cases

Earth friendly CD cases

By Green Living Tips | Published 09/13/2007

My eldest daughter stepped into my office today announcing, "here's something you'll find interesting!". In her hand she held a Motley Crue CD. Ah yes, Motley Crue, definitely an interesting bunch... but what she was referring to was the CD case itself.

On the front of the CD case was a sticker stating "music that won't cost the earth" wrapped around a recycling logo. On the inside panel - "Renewable, Recyclable, Biodgredable - this package contains recycled board and PaperFoam trays".

What a great idea! It was just the other day I was looking at our DVD and CD collection and tsk tsk'ing at the amount of petroleum based plastic before me... then thinking of millions of others with the same sort of collection.. then getting a headache calculating the numbers, weight, emissions.. and then heading for the aspirin as what's left of my addled brain threatened to escape from my ears.

I went and checked out the PaperFoam company - impressive stuff! They also manufacture "green" DVD trays. I'd love to be able to buy some of these in packs for storing archive CD's.

The Utrecht University/Copernicus Institute executed a shortcut-LCA (Life cycle assessment) study to analyse the NRUE (non-renewable use of energy), REU (renewable use of energy) and GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions of a PaperFoam CD case. The comparative environmental assessment studies also looked at jewel cases (standard plastic cd cases) and Digi-packs (paperboard or card stock outer binding, with plastic tray inside). In all cases the study is from cradle-to-factory gate:

NREU
• PaperFoam: 0.83 MJ / CD-case
• Jewelpack: 7.67 MJ / CD-case
• Digipack: 3.32 MJ / CD-case

REU
• PaperFoam: 0.36 MJ / CD-case
• Jewelpack: 0.16 MJ / CD-case
• Digipack: 0.14 MJ / CD-case

GHG emissions
• PaperFoam: 0.03 kg CO2-eq / CD-case
• Jewelpack: 0.27 kg CO2-eq / CD-case
• Digipack: 0.12 kg CO2-eq / CD-case

From what I understand, the PaperFoam solution is also cost competitive with its petroleum based plastic jewel cover counterpart.

It seems it was a good move by Universal Music; the EcoPac CD has been very popular. Up until late July they had shipped some 5 million copies of their “20th Century Masters” greatest hits range repackaged in EcoPac CDs in the USA. I certainly applaud UMG's initiative and tip my hat to PaperFoam's green packaging solution - now let's see this applied to every CD and DVD produced everywhere! It's time to start writing to the record labels!

Michael Bloch
Green Living Tips.com
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Comments

Comment #1 (Posted by TTFSam)

As a community filmmaker I'm looking for sustainable ways of packaging my DVDs. This article helped me find the Paperfoam solution - I'm now just working out the details with the Paperfoam company. Thanks

Sam
Comment #2 (Posted by Michael - Green Living Tips)

Hey Sam, that's great to hear - I'm glad the article was helpful to you!
Comment #3 (Posted by Rick )

Hello my name is Rick and I own a company that manufactures CD and DVDs. We tried this product and found that it did not meet our needs. We instead worked with our vendors and have created a 100% recycled Digipak with a 100% recycled tray.

Check out our eco friendly page.

http://www.tripledisc.com/greenecofriendlycdpackaging.html
Comment #4 (Posted by Mark)

If you are looking for CD or DVD Trays that are manufactured using 100% Post Consumer Waste Paper, with no chemical additives. You may be interested in our products that have been tested by a number of large packaging companies and replicators.

The web info can be found at: www.pulpcdtrays.com

Hope this may be useful
Comment #5 (Posted by Shilloy Marcus)

after carring out some researches on the PaperFoam product, our company also found that major record labels like Sony BMG & Universal were using PaperFoam for some of their artists, great material also cost saving.
Comment #6 (Posted by Shaun)

I personally disapprove of these eco friendly cd cases. If they get wet the case is ruined and you no longer have it to protect your delicate cds
Comment #7 (Posted by Werner Willemse)

Eco-friendly packaging can save the environment and the corporate bottom line at the same time.

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 (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 ( 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
www.DMA-Incorporated.com
Comment #8 (Posted by sam)

I work for a CD Duplication company and are putting together a new green eco friendly website (even hosted on solar powered servers) that offer green eco friendly options for cd/dvd/usb packaging. Its the way forward for companies now. If your interested in green packaging have a look at http://www.green-cd-dvd-duplication.co.uk/
Comment #9 (Posted by Christopher )

We are currently selling thousands of pounds of our PLA film called EarthFirst PLA manufactured by Plastic Suppliers in Columbus, Ohio to a CD Replicater called RSB Video. This is replacing the thousands of pounds of Polypropylene that would have been used to overwrap the CD's and in turn is reducing greenhouse gas emmissions by 44% in the process.

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