Universal Goes Green With Greenchoice Packaging

The insert in more than 20 Universal Music Group titles being introduced as a part of Wal-Mart’s "Earth Month" promotion contain a paper insert imbeded with wildflower seeds. Its all part of a growing movement to green the music industry with environmentally friendly packaging and messages.

The albums will be sold in the new REPAK CD package, an all paperboard option containing third-party certified, renewable recycled paper. The REPAK’s design features a recessed cavity to hold the disc in place, eliminating the need for a plastic hub or tray and is part of Shorewood Packaging’s "greenchoice"  program. The new packaging will replace the jewel box version of each title. Those albums (see list below) will also include the wildflower insert offering three free digital downloads from the UMG catalog.

A partial list of titles included in the catalog albums re-release:

  Bryan Adams        THE BEST OF ME
  Bon Jovi           CROSS ROAD: GREATEST HITS
  Boyz II Men        LEGACY: THE GREATEST HITS COLLECTION
  James Brown        20 ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS!
  Jimmy Buffett      SONGS YOU KNOW BY HEART
  Eric Clapton       CREAM OF CLAPTON
  Patsy Cline        DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
  Sheryl Crow        VERY BEST OF SHERYL CROW
  Def Leppard        VAULT – GREATEST HITS
  Eagles             HELL FREEZES OVER
  Melissa Etheridge  GREATEST HITS: THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
  Marvin Gaye        EVERY GREAT MOTOWN HIT
  Vince Gill         SOUVENIRS
  Jimi Hendrix       EXPERIENCE HENDRIX
  K-Ci & JoJo        ALL MY LIFE: GREATEST HITS
  Toby Keith         GREATEST HITS
  KISS               VERY BEST OF KISS
  Lynyrd Skynyrd     ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS
  Van Morrison       STILL ON TOP
  Willie Nelson      SONGS
  New Found Glory    HITS
  Nirvana            NIRVANA
  Lionel Richie      DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
  Rush               THE SPIRIT OF RADIO
  Scorpions          BAD FOR GOOD: BEST OF SCORPIONS
  Soundgarden        A-SIDES
  Steely Dan         DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
  Styx               GREATEST HITS
In 2006, UMe launched the first completely paper-recyclable (sleeve and tray) packaging in the music industry. Since then, more than 10 million nearly carbon neutral packaging have used special eco-friendly materials with UMe reducing the CO2 emissions and carbon footprint by 2400 tons. This lower carbon footprint does not include the reduction of CO2 emission during the transportation due to the lower weight of the special packages (half the weight compared to a jewel case).