Sega pledges ‘fully recyclable packaging’ for all its physical PC games

Sega has committed to switching to fully recyclable packaging for all its physical PC products, starting with the release of Creative Assembly’s upcoming Total War: Rome 2 – Enemy at the Gates Edition next week.

The box is made from 100 per cent recycled and recyclable cardboard, along with a 100 per cent recycled and recyclable manual. All printing uses water and vegetable inks, apart from the disc, which is recyclable via specialists. The whole package is shrink-wrapped in 100 per cent recyclable low-density polyethylene (LDPE). 

While the company acknowledges the switch “does come at an extra cost to SEGA Europe”, this is in part offset by cheaper distribution as “lighter packaging means lower fuel costs, and cheaper destruction costs as the package can be fully recycled”. 

The rollout comes after the company trialled 100% recyclable materials in its packaging for Football Manager 2020, which was released in a cardboard sleeve rather than the usual plastic case.

“The move to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly model of PC game packaging stemmed from Sports Interactive and Sega Europe’s desire to find a solution that would reduce their impact on the environment, utilising alternatives to plastic packaging, thus reducing the amount of pollution caused by sending waste to landfill,” the company said in a press release. 

“Through the work of Sega Europe’s Head of Operations, Natalie Cooke, senior product manager, Tim Breach, and ports Interactive studio director, Miles Jacobson, and following extensive testing, sampling and feedback from global distribution and retail channels, 100% recyclable packaging became a reality for Football Manager 2020, paving the way for all of SEGA Europe’s physical PC products to follow suit.”

“We’re proud that Creative Assembly is able to collaborate with Sega on this great initiative to help reduce plastic waste and be a part of this small step towards a greener industry,” said Rob Bartholomew, Total War’s chief product officer. 

“This initiative underlines SEGA Europe’s commitment to reducing its plastic waste and its ongoing efforts to implement environmentally friendly business practices,” said Gary Dale, President/COO of SEGA Europe. “Our estimations with regards to Football Manager 2020 suggested we’d save up to 20 tonnes of plastic packaging for that title alone, so taking this step for the rest of our PC portfolio would see that saving rise exponentially. 

“We’d like to reiterate Miles’ plea from September 2019 to the entertainment industries to investigate similar packaging solutions, across movies, games and music so we can collectively observe a drastic reduction in the production of plastic packaging and its associated waste and pollution, over the coming years.”