Eco-friendly media? Go Green? Sustainable packaging?
Are these ‘buzz words’ a momentary or a solid trend in the industry? Only time, demand and innovation will tell. But, Video Labs is keeping an eye on the best of what’s around.
The high profile release of Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, created quite a stir – its award-winning eco-friendly package set a new precedent for creative design -- it was the first DVD released with packaging that was 100% post-consumer recycled fiber. Even the plastic outer wrap was sustainable – made from corn, a renewable energy source. (http://www.climatecrisis.net/)
As public awareness has peaked, many manufacturers who serve the entertainment and retail sectors have been compelled to overhaul and publish their environmental policies and standards. To ensure that Green guidelines are met, some sectors have formed Green Alliances to create and monitor standards and provide certification.
How to balance durability, quality and cost versus green-friendliness? There’s the rub.
Paper or Plastic?
One way to choose your media packaging is to consider an all-paper or paperboard solution. Since many areas of the country now offer convenient methods of mixed paper recycling, this is a great choice for many projects. In particular, if your project is for one-time viewing or use – a give-away advertising piece, a downloadable file or a dated video, consider our high-quality paper packaging.
Video Labs offers several styles of CD and DVD wallets including papers printed with soy-based ink. These papers are Chain of Custody certified by both the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council, two non-profit organizations (http://www.fscus.org/ http://www.sfiprogram.org/) that are devoted to ensuring that environmentally sound forestry practices are monitored.
Depending on the quantity of CDs and DVDs that you need, your Video Labs account manager can help you select packaging that is not only Green-certified but made from materials as various as recycled soda bottles and pressed plant fibers. You might also want to check out the packaging section of our website (http://www.videolabs.net/creative-services/graphic-design2.htm) to see the Re-Sleeve we offer for duplication projects.
Where is it headed?
There are no simple solutions – green-friendly packaging can sometimes be cost-prohibitive, depending on the quantity. Many will only make the change when the green solution is not only comparable in quality but also in price. Still, we think that those with innovative ideas will be uniquely positioned to succeed, especially if federal legislators get involved to monitor standards in the coming years. We’ve seen some really cool designs coming our way from Europe where there has been some significant investment into green adaptive technology. Also, there’s mention of great ideas about how to reduce waste by recycling disc media and other materials. As consumers are encouraged to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, we think demand will increase and keep us all searching for just the right package.
Permanent Solutions
What about durability though? Media packaging is not just a ‘throw away’ item but is designed for protecting discs and for long-term storage so choosing a package that is durable is also key.
So, the plastics manufacturers have also responded to the trend and are making better use of materials for the long term. There’s a good argument to be made that plastic is actually more eco-friendly than paper -- you don’t have to cut down valuable trees and can be used multiple times.
Choosing cases that use less plastic is a great option. One of our clients pairs a slim full DVD case made with recyclable plastic with a four-color wrap printed on FSC certified paper with soy-based ink. These are available for short runs as well as full scale replication projects. There are also Digipaks incorporating paperboard with a disc tray made from recycled soda bottles for custom replication orders, but we routinely stock full cases made from recycled plastic that can also be put in your recycling bin instead of the trash.
The high profile release of Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, created quite a stir – its award-winning eco-friendly package set a new precedent for creative design -- it was the first DVD released with packaging that was 100% post-consumer recycled fiber. Even the plastic outer wrap was sustainable – made from corn, a renewable energy source. (http://www.climatecrisis.net/)
As public awareness has peaked, many manufacturers who serve the entertainment and retail sectors have been compelled to overhaul and publish their environmental policies and standards. To ensure that Green guidelines are met, some sectors have formed Green Alliances to create and monitor standards and provide certification.
How to balance durability, quality and cost versus green-friendliness? There’s the rub.
Paper or Plastic?
One way to choose your media packaging is to consider an all-paper or paperboard solution. Since many areas of the country now offer convenient methods of mixed paper recycling, this is a great choice for many projects. In particular, if your project is for one-time viewing or use – a give-away advertising piece, a downloadable file or a dated video, consider our high-quality paper packaging.
Video Labs offers several styles of CD and DVD wallets including papers printed with soy-based ink. These papers are Chain of Custody certified by both the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council, two non-profit organizations (http://www.fscus.org/ http://www.sfiprogram.org/) that are devoted to ensuring that environmentally sound forestry practices are monitored.
Depending on the quantity of CDs and DVDs that you need, your Video Labs account manager can help you select packaging that is not only Green-certified but made from materials as various as recycled soda bottles and pressed plant fibers. You might also want to check out the packaging section of our website (http://www.videolabs.net/creative-services/graphic-design2.htm) to see the Re-Sleeve we offer for duplication projects.
Where is it headed?
There are no simple solutions – green-friendly packaging can sometimes be cost-prohibitive, depending on the quantity. Many will only make the change when the green solution is not only comparable in quality but also in price. Still, we think that those with innovative ideas will be uniquely positioned to succeed, especially if federal legislators get involved to monitor standards in the coming years. We’ve seen some really cool designs coming our way from Europe where there has been some significant investment into green adaptive technology. Also, there’s mention of great ideas about how to reduce waste by recycling disc media and other materials. As consumers are encouraged to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, we think demand will increase and keep us all searching for just the right package.
Permanent Solutions
What about durability though? Media packaging is not just a ‘throw away’ item but is designed for protecting discs and for long-term storage so choosing a package that is durable is also key.
So, the plastics manufacturers have also responded to the trend and are making better use of materials for the long term. There’s a good argument to be made that plastic is actually more eco-friendly than paper -- you don’t have to cut down valuable trees and can be used multiple times.
Choosing cases that use less plastic is a great option. One of our clients pairs a slim full DVD case made with recyclable plastic with a four-color wrap printed on FSC certified paper with soy-based ink. These are available for short runs as well as full scale replication projects. There are also Digipaks incorporating paperboard with a disc tray made from recycled soda bottles for custom replication orders, but we routinely stock full cases made from recycled plastic that can also be put in your recycling bin instead of the trash.
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