CDSA Launches a Plastic Packaging Standard for DVDs

CDSA,
the Content Delivery and Storage Association, announces
the launch of a new, industry leading, plastic packaging standard for
polypropylene DVD cases.

With the formation of the Plastic Standards
Packaging Committee (PSPC), this organization has taken a proactive
approach to assure the long-term safety of polypropylene optical media
packaging from contamination by potentially harmful substances. The
PSPC was chartered to develop a standard to assure the safety of this
type of packaging for all stakeholders: content owners, disc
replicators and consumers.

Initial
studies of DVD packaging were sanctioned by the CDSA and conducted by
Milliken Chemical Company. Analyses of packages purchased at retail
confirmed that in some cases several potentially harmful elements had
been introduced to the pure resin substrate, such as antimony, cadmium,
chromium, and lead. A Standard was considered necessary to set a
maximum permissible level of these unwanted elements to assure the
safety of consumers, workers in the packaging industry, and the
environment.

Pure polypropylene is an
excellent and widely used material for consumer packaging as it is
inherently safe and completely recyclable, both desirable attributes in
the context of sustainability. The primary purpose of this standard,
however, is to assure that all products, even those made from recycled
materials where potentially harmful contaminants can be introduced, are
safe for use.

This is a voluntary
plastic DVD case certification program that is available to plastic
packaging manufacturers. These manufacturers can apply for
certification by submitting representative samples of their products to
an independent testing facility. After confirming with the CDSA that
they have met the requirements, they will be certified as safe
suppliers of DVD packaging. The program will be continually managed by
CDSA to insure sustained compliance with the standard.

Studios,
replicators, content holders and buyers of optical media packaging are
encouraged to insist on utilizing packaging only from CDSA certified
suppliers. Doing so will assure product safety for the entire supply
chain including consumers. To further this objective, all packaging
suppliers globally are now invited to become CDSA certified to the new
standard. Certified suppliers will be announced to the industry as they
are accredited.

The following facilities
have received Certificates of Compliance from CDSA after independent
laboratory testing of finished plastic DVD packaging samples from their
facilities were found to comply with the limits for hazardous materials
as set forth in the CDSA Standard:
AGI Polymatrix: Elizabethtown, Kentucky, and Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Carthuplas: Gaffney, South Carolina
Nexpak: Duluth, Georgia
VIVA Magnetics: Scarborough, Ontario, Canada

CDSA, the Content Delivery & Storage Association (formerly IRMA,
the International Recording Media Association)