Society's growing concern about our eco-systems and the consumption of our natural resources has driven the demand for low-plastic and no-plastic packaging alternatives. This means the writing is on the wall for our trusted old friend the plastic jewel case because CD sleeves made from renewable resources have emerged on the scene.

As derivatives of oil, plastics are being replaced with products made from renewable resources. In the world of optical disc media, printed paper stock and board stock packaging solutions are proving to be an excellent combination of quality, versatility, durability, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness.

While forest-based products are not free from concerns over sustainability and management practices, you need to look for companies who use paper stock and board stock produced under the certification of the Forest Stewardship Council. The FSC sets international standards for responsible forest management and in the past 13 years over 90 million hectares in more than 70 countries have been certified according to FSC standards while several thousand products are produced using FSC-certified wood.

CD sleeves made from printed board stock provide greater versatility in the number of styles and formats available. From a simple single pocket style to multi-paneled and multi-pocketed sleeves, sleeves combine packaging and print into a single product as opposed to traditional jewel cases which require separate printed inserts in order for you to brand your product. Sleeves are able to carry as many discs as required but you can use additional pockets for inclusion of additional printed materials in the form of folders or even stapled booklets. Additionally, if there's a particular format or style you require which doesn't appear to be available it's possible to create a custom die-line to produce your sleeve for a surprisingly low cost.

You'll want to research potential vendors to find the right style of CD sleeves for your needs and ensure they are able to provide a professional product with the environmentally-friendly standards commonly available within the industry, which include:

* Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified board stock or paper stock. 15pt weight is the industry standard.

* Minimum 30% recycled content contained in the stock.

* 100% recyclable.

* Printed using waterless printing technology.

* Printed using vegetable based inks.

No matter how environmentally friendly or popular the packaging style is, an amateurish appearance gives a negative overall impression of your product. Make sure your design is equal or better than similar products on the market. Make the effort to get the design just right. Need graphic design help? Most quality suppliers should have a designer on staff or be able to refer you to a capable graphics person.

Make sure that you do your due diligence on potential suppliers and always get a written quotation from at least three different companies. Request samples of their CD sleeves to be certain they can provide you with the quality and professionalism your product needs to portray. Simply evaluating a vendor on low cost or fast delivery won't mean anything if you are delivered a substandard product – because the quality of the product will directly affect consumers opinions of you, be that good or bad.

For more information visit http://www.predisc.com.