Warning: this thread is primarily a rant
Anyone else irked by the new "green" methods of packaging CD's that do away with the traditional jewel case arrangement? It all seems to have started with cardboard exterior packaging that retained the plastic jewel assembly inside; I was fine with that.
Now, though, some of the newer containers are coming out as completely cardboard packaging, with sleeves that hold the disc in the package. They require you to grasp the disc on the actual playing surface to get it out, and furthermore, the disc's playing surface gets rubbed against the stiff cardboard in the process. To add insult to injury, some aren't even coming with liner notes anymore.
Case in point, I purchased Patsy Cline's Definitive Collection disc the other day, and it came with nothing. I practically destroyed the cardboard looking for the damn liner notes (which I assumed I was just too stupid to find) only to read in fine print that they were available online. Now this wasn't some bargain bin $5 Greatest Hits CD with 10 tracks - it's the Definitive collection and had the price tag to go with it. So, while I'm all for saving the planet, can't you print the liner notes on the same paper-recyclable, biodegradable material you used for the disc's container?
Now, I've personally debunked the mythical promise of perfect sound forever with several discs I failed to handle with care, and admittedly that was my fault. But the new packaging is now forcing me to handle discs in a way that is completely contradictory to the advice we were all given when CD's first arrived on the scene. Anyone else remember the care instructions from earlier discs? To quote: For best results, you should apply the same care in storing and handling the Compact Disc as you would with conventional records. No cleaning is necessary if the Compact Disc is always held by its edges and is replaced in its case directly after playing. Well, now how in the hell do you expect me to do that when I have to wrestle with the damn thing just to get it out of the case?And I can't help but think that repeatedly pushing and pulling a disc against a piece of cardboard ain't gonna do wonders for its longevity.
This is exactly the kind of eco-mania that has me saying screw the planet, save yourself. Well, not really, I'm completely onboard with "going green" but there has to be a better approach here. Maybe retain the plastic insert and make it out of 100% post-consumer recycled materials? Personally, I think the new style of packaging and omission of liner notes are just ways to cheapen the manufacturing process under the guise of being environmentally responsible. And yet record companies wonder why CD sales continue to plummet???
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by 4313B
