Sony interactive Entertainment has shared details on how the company managed to source and create the PlayStation 5’s recyclable packaging. The consoles packaging used minimal plastic without affecting the overall aesthetics.
“Over the last 50 years plastic use worldwide has increased around twentyfold, but recycling rates remain low at around 9%. This has contributed to increased pollution of the world’s oceans, a matter of growing urgent concern. Action is needed now to reverse course and protect endangered marine ecosystems,” said Kieren Mayers, Director of Environment and Technical Compliance at SIE in a blog post.
“That’s why, in 2020, Sony Corporation established the “Green Management 2025” plan following on from its launch of the “One Blue Ocean Project”. This includes a commitment to eliminate plastic use in newly designed small product packaging by 2025, and reduce the quantity of plastic packaging by 10% for other products,” he continued.
Mayers went on to detail out the progress that SIE has made in order to stick to its commitment. Even before the launch of the PS5, the company was already making strides towards reducing plastic in its packaging. For instance, the packaging for the Dualshock 4 controller used around 70% recycled PET plastic for display windows and hanging hooks in the North and South American and European markets.
The PS5 packaging, however, is a different story. The material that was used in the packaging of the console and its accessories are designed to be fully recyclable. Depending on what the product is, the packaging per unit is between 93-99% plastic-free by weight.
In order to achieve this, SIE had to implement certain improvements when it came to manufacturing the packaging. To start off, the company made fully recyclable packaging for the PS5 a mandate. It would avoid expanded polystyrene or plastic trays by using card inserts and paper pulp cushion trays. Paper cable ties replaced plastic cable ties, and plastic protection bags used for cables and instruction manuals were avoided. Additionally, closed card boxes were used for PS5 accessories instead of plastic display windows. SIE also incorporated folding, rather than glued, hanger tabs to outer packaging.
Later this year, SIE will be experimenting with the inclusion of polypropylene recycled from post-industrial waste in physical game cases in Europe.