DEF LEPPARD, KISS, RUSH, SCORPIONS and SOUNDGARDEN are among the artists whose releases are available now at Wal-Mart as a part of Wal-Mart’s “Earth Month” promotion. The insert in more than 20 Universal Music Group (UMG) titles is so earth-friendly that, when properly planted, the special seed paper will actually bloom into wildflowers. All of the albums from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the U.S. catalog and special markets entity for UMG, will be offered in the new REPAK CD package, an all paperboard option containing third-party certified, renewable recycled board and recyclable paper. The REPAK’s design features a unique recessed cavity to hold the disc snugly and safely in place, completely eliminating the need for a plastic hub or tray. It is part of the greenchoice Environmental Solutions program from Shorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper. For the previously released compilation albums, 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 a select number of UMe catalog tracks. In 2006, UMe launched the first completely paper-recyclable (sleeve and tray) packaging in the music industry. A major new step in providing environmentally-friendly packaging, the initiative continues both companies’ commitment to improving packaging. 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). Said Mike Davis, Executive Vice President & General Manager, UMe: “We have a long-standing commitment to being ‘green’ and we’re proud to continue to lead the music industry in addressing environmental issues.” A partial list of titles included in the Catalog Albums:
DEF LEPPARD – “Vault – Greatest Hits”
JIMI HENDRIX – “Experience Hendrix”
KISS – “The Very Best Of Kiss”
NIRVANA – “Nirvana”
RUSH – “The Spirit Of Radio”
SCORPIONS – “Bad For Good: Best Of Scorpions”
SOUNDGARDEN – “A-Sides”
