Sega Introduces 100% Recyclable PC Game Packages

If you’re even slightly aware of the science, then you’re probably filled with enormous anxiety about climate change, and how our leaders have routinely decided that a habitable planet isn’t quite as high on their priority list as it probably should be. Unfortunately, that is still true, but while many companies are actively making the problem worse, at least you can feel slightly better knowing that Sega Europe is doing their part to minimize their environmental impact. Slightly.

Over Twitter, they announced the following:

We're pleased to announce that all of our future physical releases of PC games will be launched in fully recycled packaging! Total War: ROME II – Enemy at the Gates Edition from Creative Assembly signals our intent to continue with this environmental initiative.

Now, don’t get me wrong: that’s pretty good. Any step in the right direction is a welcome one, but there are a few caveats to this that warrant mentioning. For one, we can’t forget the fact that people are straight-up not buying as many physical copies of games anymore, so finding out that Sega of America was working to make their servers "greener" would probably have a bigger impact. For two, this only applies for Sega’s PC games – console games are still using normal plastic boxes. For three, this only applies for European releases. If you live in the US, or in Japan, then you’re gonna keep getting the horrible packaging that’s not so environmentally friendly. And for four, the disk itself still isn’t biodegradable.

But putting all that aside: there’s no reason this can’t lead to Sega doing the same for all its other games, across all the other regions, and there’s no reason it won’t inspire other companies to follow the same lead. So despite all my cynicism earlier, I still offer Sega a hearty thank you.

Ya doin’ good kids.