Prepress
MEDIA PACKAGING LEADER NEXPAK PARTICIPATES IN ECSA GREEN MEDIA SUMMIT
Monday 07. April 2008 - Announce STACKpak as premier Eco-Friendly packaging for multiple disc content
Nexpak, a leader in eco-friendly media packaging, participated in the April 2 Green Media Summit hosted by the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy (ECSA), and called for packaging size and weight reductions to save on transportation and shipping costs as well as reduce the harmful environmental effects of disposal.
“Nexpak is committed to Design for Environment (DfE) and the manufacture of environmentally-sustainable products,” says Chuck Hoar, Nexpak EVP New Business Development, and a conference presenter. “In developing today’s eco-friendly, energy-efficient media packaging materials, we are focusing on smart design to reduce material weight and volume and use of non-traditional materials to boost recyclability while maintaining durability. We are also committed to environmentally-responsible supply chain management, which includes cutting shipping and transportation costs, standardizing inventory and minimizing material disposal.”
Nexpak packaging products with sustainability features include STACKpak and THINpak for DVDs and the Eco-CD jewel case. STACKpak was designed with multiple disc packaging in mind, including DVD collector editions, the growing catalog of TV season releases, and video-games.
Current STACKpak cases can accommodate up to eight discs and feature a proprietary, patented locking hub design that ensures that the discs are held on the hub for optimal protection. STACKpak reduces packaging and transportation costs, maximizes shelf space and even eases product handling and administration by reducing the number of SKUs needed and minimizing the handling of returns. One 15mm STACKpak loaded with four discs can cut material weight by up to 63 percent, compared to four separate industry standard single-disc 14mm cases.
STACKpak runs today in standard automation packaging lines. In the US, automated STACKpak GIMA packaging cells are in operation with three major replicators of optical discs (CDs and DVDs): JVC, Sonopress and KPO (Kentucky Pack-out). A STACKpak 27mm case can run up to 70 pieces per minute in GIMA’s model 899 DVD packaging machine.
“STACKpak 10 is in the works,” reports Hoar, referring to a STACKpak design that can hold up to 10 discs on one hub, “our goal is to introduce this product later this year.”
“Packaging produces a defining moment in the experience of physical media where enhancing its intrinsic sustainability value creates a huge ripple effect in the supply chain. Products such as STACKpak are addressing the requirements of the next generation in eco-friendly multiple disc packaging,” says Devendra Mishra, Founder of the Entertainment Supply Chain Academy. “Because of the sizeable consumer market for multiple-disc releases of TV episodes, STACKpak provides a serious solution.”
Another environmentally-friendly product, THINpak is, at 7mm, half the thickness of a standard DVD case. The ECO-CD jewel case features a 10.5 percent reduction in overall weight over a conventional jewel case. “At one billion units,” says Hoar, “this equates to eliminating 16 million pounds of polystyrene from landfills.”