A new initiative within the International Recording Media Association aims to consider grading optical media packaging elements, such as resin content and weight.
The Plastics Media Packaging Committee, now in formation, will ``try to establish the need and criteria for standards for standard media packaging,'' according to Peter Ciriello, chief executive officer of packaging manufacturer Carthuplas Inc. of Kennebunk, Maine.
``The idea is to look at certain criteria for packaging,'' Ciriello said in an interview. Those factors ``enable users or buyers to know they are buying a case that meets a certain standard, let's say, an A-grade case. It is not a mandate that they buy an A-grade case.''
But a packaging standard-possibly incorporating a certificate of authenticity - would meet the buyer's criteria vs. buying ``an off-shore case that does not meet that standard and may save 2-3 cents a case,'' he said.
Contamination is a concern. ``What we are finding is there are some chemicals in these recycled plastics from offshore that are not very good actors,'' Ciriello said.
Ciriello and Jim Spry, director of global business development with Milliken & Co.'s chemical division in Spartanburg, S.C., co-chaired an initial committee meeting March 10 during IRMA's annual forum in La Quinta.
``It seems we have interest from plastics packaging manufacturers, replicators and studios to at least explore this to the next level,'' Ciriello said.
He said the group will meet again in May with a final list of participants and design criteria, and a roadmap for implementation and monitoring. The meeting will take place in conjunction with the May 10-12 computer and video game Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.