Eco-friendly ideas for your CD/DVD replication project

Go green on your CD/DVD duplication

Green design
Before we jump into the different packaging, keep your design 'green'. Incorporate the color of the paper stock you use in the design, less ink will ultimately be used in the printing process. If you cannot afford soy ink (which we will discuss later), this is a good starting point.

Paper or plastic? Paper please!
Jewel case and digi-trays contain mostly made of PVC, which is toxic and difficult to recycle. Forgoing plastic will be a good idea, especially when there are many options available for cardboard packaging, such as jackets, wallets, digipaks-like packaging, but without a tray. Both digipak and wallet have a spine, which will be needed if you sell in stores.



Say no to shrink wrap
Shrink wrap is the clear plastic film over CD/DVD packaging. For cardboard packaging, whenever possible, omit shrink wrap and use a clear sticker to seal instead. It keeps the disc from falling out and reduce the amount of unwanted plastic waste.



Silkscreen/offset printed blank discs
If you are a company or individual that constantly put out discs but with varying content, pre-printed discs might be a good option for you. Instead of replicating a large amount of discs that you might not use, pre-print them with the very same machines as all major Hollywood release, and burn them as you go. It saves you money and storage space, and most important reduce the number of unwanted discs.


Short-run discs
Why make 1,000 when you only need a few hundred? We offer short run services that make as little as 10 discs. Order the right quantity and you will be doing a favor to yourself and the environment!




Soy-ink
Soy ink are made with soybeans, and use 50% less energy to make compared with petroleum-based ink. It makes it easier to recycle paper. Soy ink is an option for printing CD booklets/traycards, cardboard packaging and digipaks. ALL OUR DIGIPAKS ARE PRINTED WITH SOY INK.




Biodegradable CD/DVD trays As we had said before, the PVC used in jewel cases is difficult to recycle, there are now biodegradable CD/DVD trays for cardboard packaging. While these products are still fairly new and pricey, it is now available and a first step towards more environmentally-friendly CD/DVD packaging.




Recycle stock
There is a number of varieties in recycled stock: 85% post consumer content and 90% post consumer content. The texture is slightly different. Woodfree/fiberboard comes with 25% of recycled cotton. These types of stock is available for jackets, wallets and digipak. They also have slight tint of color in it, giving a more organic and natural look to the product. Incorporate with your design and you will get a truly unique and eco-friendly product.
ALL OUR DIGIPAKS CONTAIN 20% RECYCLED POST CONSUMER CONTENT




Eco printing terms
Virgin Paper
Paper manufactured from new pulp or cotton. Does not contain any recycled material.
Recycled
Paper which is designated as "recycled" can be a mixture of virgin wood fiber, pre-consumer waste or post-consumer waste.
Pre-consumer content
Pre-consumer content is paper made out of paper scraps and trimmings left over from the paper manufacturing process. These paper scraps and trimmings are easiest to recycle, as they do not have to be collected, separated, de-inked
Post-consumer content
Post-consumer waste (PCW) is paper made out of paper which has been used by the end consumer and then is collected for recycling from various recycling programs. This is the best paper to use, as it creates demand for paper which would normally end up in the landfill and no trees are cut down for making the paper.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
The Forest Stewardship Council was created to change the dialogue about and the practice of sustainable forestry worldwide. This impressive goal has in many ways been achieved, yet there is more work to be done. FSC sets forth principles, criteria, and standards that span economic, social, and environmental concerns. The FSC standards represent the world's strongest system for guiding forest management toward sustainable outcomes.
Well Managed Forest
The exact definition of a well-managed forest will be debated as long as there are interest groups that value different sets of attributes available from a forest. Fundamental to all is the premise that forests are recognized as a community of interacting plants, animals, soil, water, air, and people within a major landscape - no longer just a concentration of trees.