Green Packaging

Green packaging Options

There is increasing interest in the use of eco-friendly packaging in the CD and DVD industry. This is a short introduction to some of the issues involved and some possible solutions

CD and DVD discs

Discs are manufactured from polycarbonate plastic, plus a reflective layer of either gold, silver, aluminium or silver alloy and finally an organic dye layer that actually holds the information. DVDs also use a bonding layer between two polycarbonate discs which is non - biodegradable.

All the materials used in the production of discs are virgin materials and no one has developed a method as yet to use recycled materials in the production of CD and DVD media. Whilst CDs and DVDs can be recycled they have to be sent to specialist recycling plants who are normally geared up to receiving large amounts of unwanted discs from commercial producers. Some however will take discs sent to them directly by members of the public. There are no councils in the UK offering separate household recycling facilities for CD and DVD media at this stage.

There is a new product called an eco-dvd available - manufactured in the same way but using half the amount of polycarbonate and not requiring the non-biodegradable bonding layer. It is half the thickness of a standard dvd, very flexible, but will not work in slot drives.

Packaging

Packaging for CD and DVD products is split fundamentally into Plastic and Paper/Card solutions. There are some hybrids as well.

Plastic jewel cases made from solid polystyrene

Standard CD Jewel cases are made from solid polystyrene which makes them cheap to manufacture, very hard, brittle and as such easily broken. Virgin plastic is used to make all the premium grade polystyrene jewel cases on the market. Jewel cases can also be made from recycled polystyrene, they generally have a lower quality feel and are cheaper to purchase in quantity. They are freely available in the market place. Jewel cases can also be made from polycarbonate which is very tough and durable but more expensive. Jewel cases can be recycled, but only if they are sent to an appropriate recycling facility that can handle the specific tasks involved. The manufacture of recycled plastics can create a lot of carbon and there is increasing arguement over the ultimate environmental benefit of using recycled products of this kind.

Solid polystyrene is traditionally non - biodegradable but safe to bury in landfill, being as stable as concrete or brick. Additives can be used to promote its bio-degradation but some of the side effects of the process can be toxic, although research continues and there are promising signs

Solid polystyrene is generally seen as one of the major sources of marine debris, worldwide

Example 1 Example 2

Plastic cases made from polypropylene

Polypropylene is a stronger more flexible plastic than polystyrene and is used to produce a vast range of CD and DVD cases such as circular clam shell cases, standard DVD video cases (often called an Amaray case) and many others designed for mailing purposes.

Polypropylene cases can be manufactured from 100% virgin material or a mixture of virgin and recycled material. Recycled polypropylene has a familiar smell, similar to that of burnt rubber and the higher the recycled content, the greater the smell. Cases made from recycled polypropylene take on a slightly dull appearance and can appear a little down market. Recycled cases are very economical when bought in quantitiy. These cases can be recycled many times, but again only if they are sent to an appropriate recycling facility that can handle the specific tasks involved. The manufacture of recycled plastics can create a lot of carbon and there is increasing arguement over the ultimate environmental benefit of using recycled products of this kind

Polypropylene is traditionally non - biodegradable but safe to bury in landfill, being as stable as concrete or brick. Additives can be used to promote its bio-degradation but some of the side effects of the process can be toxic, although research continues and there are promising signs.

Example 1 Example 2

Card cases and printed parts

This includes a vast range of 100% card cases and printed booklets and inlays. These cases and paper parts are made from either virgin stock from a non-verifiable source, or virgin stock from a verified sustainable source or from recycled stock or from a mixture of these. All these products are recyclable and can be accepted by most household recycling schemes in the UK. They are also 100% biodegradable in normal landfill but of course the inks and glues used in their manufacture may not be, or , if they are, may produce toxic side effects.

Virgin stock generally offers the highest quality print surface. Some industry printers are now FSC verified (Forestry Stewardship Council) or PEFC verified (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) meaning that they can offer a vrigin product guaranteed to have come from a sustainable forestry source. It also means the FSC and PEFC logos can be used on the packaging. Stock can be made from a combination of virgin and recycled product, or from purely recycled stock. Recycled stock does not traditionally take inks as well as virgin stock and so products can look and feel slightly down market. There are however new inks being developed specifically for recycled stock giving bright, vibrant colour print although these are still seen as specialist. Some of these inks are also organic and less toxic and more environmentally friendly than others.

Example 1 Example 2

Hybrid Cases

There is a class of case called a digipac case that uses a card wallet as per the section above, together with a glued plastic tray. This is a very popular format particularly for music releases. The plastic tray can nowadays be replaced by a paperfoam tray which has been developed as an eco-friendly alternative. The paperfoam tray feels a little like a cross between egg box card and expanded polystyrene and can be formed in many different colours, though cannot then be printed on. Again it takes the edge off the product slightly but importantly the case retains the bulk that is one of its attractions, whilst removing the plastic element so commonly seen as less environmentally friendly. The introduction of bio-degradable plastic products will have an impact here and there is now a bio-degradable plastic tray that can be fitted to this product, a brand new product developed during 2008

Example 1 Example 2

This introduction to the subject will be updated further during 2009

If you have any queries regarding eco-frindly packaging please get in touch

Some interesting links in no particular order

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic

http://www.fsc.org/

http://www.pefc.org/internet/html/about_pefc.htm

http://www.dansdata.com/discsavers.htm

http://www.foe.co.uk/living/tips/recycle_cds_and_dvds.html

http://www.polymerrecycling.co.uk/





home > green issues

		Green packaging Options There is increasing interest in the use of eco-friendly packaging in the CD and DVD industry. This is a short introduction to some of the issues involved and some possible solutions CD and DVD discs Discs are manufactured from polycarbonate plastic, plus a reflective layer of either gold, silver, aluminium or silver alloy and finally an organic dye layer that actually holds the information. DVDs also use a bonding layer between two polycarbonate discs which is non - biodegradable. All the materials used in the production of discs are virgin materials and no one has developed a method as yet to use recycled materials in the production of CD and DVD media. Whilst CDs and DVDs can be recycled they have to be sent to specialist recycling plants who are normally geared up to receiving large amounts of unwanted discs from commercial producers. Some however will take discs sent to them directly by members of the public. There are no councils in the UK offering separate household recycling facilities for CD and DVD media at this stage. There is a new product called an eco-dvd available - manufactured in the same way but using half the amount of polycarbonate and not requiring the non-biodegradable bonding layer. It is half the thickness of a standard dvd, very flexible, but will not work in slot drives. Packaging Packaging for CD and DVD products is split fundamentally into Plastic and Paper/Card solutions. There are some hybrids as well. Plastic jewel cases made from solid polystyrene Standard CD Jewel cases are made from solid polystyrene which makes them cheap to manufacture, very hard, brittle and as such easily broken. Virgin plastic is used to make all the premium grade polystyrene jewel cases on the market. Jewel cases can also be made from recycled polystyrene, they generally have a lower quality feel and are cheaper to purchase in quantity. They are freely available in the market place. Jewel cases can also be made from polycarbonate which is very tough and durable but more expensive. Jewel cases can be recycled, but only if they are sent to an appropriate recycling facility that can handle the specific tasks involved. The manufacture of recycled plastics can create a lot of carbon and there is increasing arguement over the ultimate environmental benefit of using recycled products of this kind. Solid polystyrene is traditionally non - biodegradable but safe to bury in landfill, being as stable as concrete or brick. Additives can be used to promote its bio-degradation but some of the side effects of the process can be toxic, although research continues and there are promising signs Solid polystyrene is generally seen as one of the major sources of marine debris, worldwide Example 1 Example 2 Plastic cases made from polypropylene Polypropylene is a stronger more flexible plastic than polystyrene and is used to produce a vast range of CD and DVD cases such as circular clam shell cases, standard DVD video cases (often called an Amaray case) and many others designed for mailing purposes. Polypropylene cases can be manufactured from 100% virgin material or a mixture of virgin and recycled material. Recycled polypropylene has a familiar smell, similar to that of burnt rubber and the higher the recycled content, the greater the smell. Cases made from recycled polypropylene take on a slightly dull appearance and can appear a little down market. Recycled cases are very economical when bought in quantitiy. These cases can be recycled many times, but again only if they are sent to an appropriate recycling facility that can handle the specific tasks involved. The manufacture of recycled plastics can create a lot of carbon and there is increasing arguement over the ultimate environmental benefit of using recycled products of this kind Polypropylene is traditionally non - biodegradable but safe to bury in landfill, being as stable as concrete or brick. Additives can be used to promote its bio-degradation but some of the side effects of the process can be toxic, although research continues and there are promising signs. Example 1 Example 2 Card cases and printed parts This includes a vast range of 100% card cases and printed booklets and inlays. These cases and paper parts are made from either virgin stock from a non-verifiable source, or virgin stock from a verified sustainable source or from recycled stock or from a mixture of these. All these products are recyclable and can be accepted by most household recycling schemes in the UK. They are also 100% biodegradable in normal landfill but of course the inks and glues used in their manufacture may not be, or , if they are, may produce toxic side effects. Virgin stock generally offers the highest quality print surface. Some industry printers are now FSC verified (Forestry Stewardship Council) or PEFC verified (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) meaning that they can offer a vrigin product guaranteed to have come from a sustainable forestry source. It also means the FSC and PEFC logos can be used on the packaging. Stock can be made from a combination of virgin and recycled product, or from purely recycled stock. Recycled stock does not traditionally take inks as well as virgin stock and so products can look and feel slightly down market. There are however new inks being developed specifically for recycled stock giving bright, vibrant colour print although these are still seen as specialist. Some of these inks are also organic and less toxic and more environmentally friendly than others. Example 1 Example 2 Hybrid Cases There is a class of case called a digipac case that uses a card wallet as per the section above, together with a glued plastic tray. This is a very popular format particularly for music releases. The plastic tray can nowadays be replaced by a paperfoam tray which has been developed as an eco-friendly alternative. The paperfoam tray feels a little like a cross between egg box card and expanded polystyrene and can be formed in many different colours, though cannot then be printed on. Again it takes the edge off the product slightly but importantly the case retains the bulk that is one of its attractions, whilst removing the plastic element so commonly seen as less environmentally friendly. The introduction of bio-degradable plastic products will have an impact here and there is now a bio-degradable plastic tray that can be fitted to this product, a brand new product developed during 2008 Example 1 Example 2 This introduction to the subject will be updated further during 2009 If you have any queries regarding eco-frindly packaging please get in touch Some interesting links in no particular order http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polystyrene http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodegradable_plastic http://www.fsc.org/ http://www.pefc.org/internet/html/about_pefc.htm http://www.dansdata.com/discsavers.htm http://www.foe.co.uk/living/tips/recycle_cds_and_dvds.html http://www.polymerrecycling.co.uk/










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