I’ve been burning CDs recently and thought I might try to find a way to green this process. The most obvious thing that came to mind was doing what my friend Matt does: Uploading playlists to an ftp site and letting people download the mp3 files right onto their iTunes, with no disc, packaging or shipping required.
But unfortunately I don’t really know how to do that — and sometimes, in this digital age, I like to stick to the tangible realm.
With my no plastic pledge, however, jewel cases definitely aren’t an option (plus they tend to crack and break, and are kind of ugly).
So after much searching, I finally found the Sustainable Group, where they sell 100% recycled CD cases called Resleeves (I tried to find them at local eco stores but came up empty-handed, unfortunately). They’re about 50-50 post-consumer recycled fibers and post-industrial recycled fibers, with a round die-cut hole in the middle (open, no plastic screen).
And they’re unbleached, with a big recycled logo at the bottom so everyone knows I’ve made a conscious green decision. That, my friends, is your Simple Saturday change. I’ve got nothing else up my (re)sleeve.
Image courtesy of Sustainable Group
Hi! I love this concept (the year of daily changes I mean, not just this specific entry). I just have one question – do you know that CDs are themselves plastic? I know your pledge is no NEW plastic only, so I guess you might already have a stack of blanks at home…but maybe getting your friend to give you an FTP tutorial might be another green change sometime between now and March.
Checkout Limewire for free downloads.
Gar! You’re right, serinlea, there is plastic in them there CDs… but you’re also correct in pointing out that I did have a big stack of them prior to making my no-new-plastic pledge. However, an FTP tutorial is definitely in order. Speaking of tutorials, has anyone ever watched those funny mock Photoshop tutorials on YouTube?
Could you use felt? it’s a nice soft material and I don’t think it would scratch the CD. You could then just punch holes and sew up the sides (very art and crafty style). Wait, is felt eco friendly? There are so many things out there that you aren’t sure about, but felt sounds pretty harmless right?
we sell our album digitaly only because we feel the same way about plastic…
For what it’s worth, I used extra CDs to decorate my (long put away) Christmas tree this past holiday season. As a writer I get a lot of press kits on CD these days. So when I was done with them, I’d take the case and reuse it for my own use (can you do the same?), and then tie a reused ribbon on the CD to hang on my tree. Something to think about for next year.
Leah Ingram
http://greenbootcamp.blogspot.com
I just want to chime in with the choir of people encouraging you to learn how to share music without CDs. CDs are soooooo last year, Vanessa!
Beth
I am well known around my office for collecting everyone’s old calendars and cutting and folding them into CD cases. They are pretty, and a good reuse of something that would otherwise be recycled. (Also, old calendars make great letter envelopes too!)
Cool! I think I’ll do this for my next album. Or maybe I’ll just make my own sleeves out of cardboard – these don’t look like they’ll be hard to make. (and yes, I know that file downloads are more eco-friendly, but my audience is mostly composed of senior citizens who are not at all computer-literate…)