The Ultimate 'Green' Album Package Sprouts Wildflowers! Universal Music Enterprises Teams With Wal-Mart for Special Album Packaging

The Ultimate 'Green' Album Package Sprouts Wildflowers! Universal Music Enterprises Teams With Wal-Mart for Special Album Packaging

Promotion Includes Compilation Albums From Popular Artists Plus New Albums From Sheryl Crow, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, And Counting Crows

SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The insert in more than 20 Universal Music Group (UMG) titles available now at Wal-Mart as a part of Wal-Mart's "Earth Month" promotion is so earth-friendly that, when properly planted, the special seed paper will actually bloom into wildflowers. From the uniquely organic insert to environmentally sustainable packaging for new albums from Sheryl Crow, Mariah Carey, Janet Jackson, Counting Crows, and the effort is further proof that green is growing fast in the music industry.

All of the albums from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), the U.S. catalog and special markets entity for UMG, will be offered in the new REPAK(R) CD package, an all paperboard option containing third-party certified, renewable recycled board and recyclable paper. The REPAK's design features a unique recessed cavity to hold the disc snugly and safely in place, completely eliminating the need for a plastic hub or tray. It is part of the greenchoice(TM) Environmental Solutions program from Shorewood Packaging, a business of International Paper. For the previously released compilation albums, the new packaging will replace the jewel box version of each title. Those albums (see list below) will also include the wildflower insert offering three free digital downloads from a select number of UMe catalog tracks.

In 2006, UMe launched the first completely paper-recyclable (sleeve and tray) packaging in the music industry. A major new step in providing environmentally-friendly packaging, the initiative continues both companies' commitment to improving packaging. Since then, more than 10 million nearly carbon neutral packaging have used special eco-friendly materials with UMe reducing the CO2 emissions and carbon footprint by 2400 tons. This lower carbon footprint does not include the reduction of CO2 emission during the transportation due to the lower weight of the special packages (half the weight compared to a jewel case).

Said Mike Davis, Executive Vice President & General Manager, UMe: "We have a long-standing commitment to being 'green' and we're proud to continue to lead the music industry in addressing environmental issues." The new albums, which will sport the new packaging and contain the insert, are Sheryl Crow's DETOURS, Mariah Carey's THAT CHICK, Janet Jackson's DISCIPLINE, and Counting Crows' SATURDAY NIGHTS, SUNDAY MORNINGS.

A partial list of titles included in the Catalog Albums:

Bryan Adams THE BEST OF ME
Bon Jovi CROSS ROAD: GREATEST HITS
Boyz II Men LEGACY: THE GREATEST HITS COLLECTION
James Brown 20 ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS!
Jimmy Buffett SONGS YOU KNOW BY HEART
Eric Clapton CREAM OF CLAPTON
Patsy Cline DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
Sheryl Crow VERY BEST OF SHERYL CROW
Def Leppard VAULT - GREATEST HITS
Eagles HELL FREEZES OVER
Melissa Etheridge GREATEST HITS: THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Marvin Gaye EVERY GREAT MOTOWN HIT
Vince Gill SOUVENIRS
Jimi Hendrix EXPERIENCE HENDRIX
K-Ci & JoJo ALL MY LIFE: GREATEST HITS
Toby Keith GREATEST HITS
KISS VERY BEST OF KISS
Lynyrd Skynyrd ALL-TIME GREATEST HITS
Van Morrison STILL ON TOP
Willie Nelson SONGS
New Found Glory HITS
Nirvana NIRVANA
Lionel Richie DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
Rush THE SPIRIT OF RADIO
Scorpions BAD FOR GOOD: BEST OF SCORPIONS
Soundgarden A-SIDES
Steely Dan DEFINITIVE COLLECTION
Styx GREATEST HITS

REPAK(R) is a registered trademark of Ichikudo Printing Co., Ltd. of Japan.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Universal Music Enterprises

CONTACT: Sujata Murthy of Universal Music Enterprises, +1-310-865-7812,
sujata.murthy@umusic.com

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