The Ultimate 'Green' Album Package Sprouts Wildflowers! Universal Music Enterprises Teams With Wal-Mart for Special Album Packaging

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The insert in more than 20 Universal Music Group (UMG) titles available now at Wal-Mart as a part of Wal-Mart's "Earth Month" promotion is so earth-friendly that, when properly planted, the special seed paper will actually bloom into wildflowers. From the uniquely organic insert to environmentally sustainable packaging for new albums from Sheryl Crow, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Counting Crows, and the effort is further proof that green is growing fast in the music industry.

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(R) 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(TM) 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." The new albums, which will sport the new packaging and contain the insert, are Sheryl Crow's DETOURS, Mariah Carey's THAT CHICK, Janet Jackson's DISCIPLINE, and Counting Crows' SATURDAY NIGHTS, SUNDAY MORNINGS.

    A partial list of titles included in the Catalog Albums:

    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

REPAK(R) is a registered trademark of Ichikudo Printing Co., Ltd. of Japan.