By : Erik Gruenwedel | Posted: 27 Mar 2007
egruenwedel@questex.com

Warner Home Video is pursuing a different kind of green.

Beginning April 1, WHV will begin using chlorine-free, 30% recycled paper in all of its DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray releases.

The studio said the switch will save enough energy to power 404 homes, prevent the emission of 43.4 million pounds of greenhouse gases, save 53,169 trees, conserve more than 19.3 million gallons of water and eliminate enough solid waste to fill 115 garbage trucks, annually.

Upcoming DVD releases of The Fountain and The Astronaut Farmer, and the HD DVD releases of The Ultimate Matrix Collection and The Complete Matrix Trilogy, among others, will incorporate a Warner Bros.-branded recycling logo.

The studio has apparently taken former vice president Al Gore's message of global warming to the boardroom.

Packaging for the DVD release of the Oscar-winning Happy Feet — a film that also includes conservation messages — was printed on recycled content.

The DVD also includes a PSA on declining fisheries, as well as a Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch wallet guide that helps inform consumers about sustainable and healthy seafood options.

Warner's in-store DVD displays feature from 25% to 35% recycled paper. The studio only uses corrugated product vendors who are members of organizations such as Global Environment Management Initiative, the Nature Conservancy International Leadership Council and the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development.

“Warner Home Video has an ongoing charge to develop methods and practices that reinforce its commitment toward the use of renewable materials,” said president Ron Sanders. “We were fortunate to find an option that allowed us to go green without compromising quality; it's a smart business move.”

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