Starting with the launch of Total War: Rome II - Enemy at the Gates Edition on 6th February, all Sega Europe's future physical PC releases will feature fully recyclable packaging.

It's the continuation of an initiative started in conjunction with Sports Interactive last year, which saw Football Manager 2020's physical edition switch from plastic to what the developer called the "most environmentally friendly packaging we've been able to put together".

That packaging featured "reinforced, 100% recycled gatefold cardboard sleeve, made with 100% recycled fibres", a recycled paper manual, vegetable and water-based ink, and recyclable shrink wrap. The result was an entirely recyclable package that, as outlined in Sports Interactive's blog at the time, had the potential to make other environmental savings too.

Football Manager 2020's cardboard packaging, as modelled by People Make Games' Chris Bratt.

Sega's physical release of Total War: Rome II - Enemy at the Gates Edition will make use of the same material, and the company says, "Our estimations with regards to Football Manager 2020 suggested we'd save up to 20 tonnes of plastic packaging for that title alone, so taking this step for the rest of our PC portfolio would see that saving rise exponentially".

As part of today's announcement, Sega Europe wrote, "We'd like to reiterate Miles' plea from September 2019 to the entertainment industries to investigate similar packaging solutions, across movies, games and music so we can collectively observe a drastic reduction in the production of plastic packaging and its associated waste and pollution, over the coming years."

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Those curious to know the complexities behind the recycling of a traditional plastic game box might consider watching People Make Games' investigation into that very subject, presented by former Eurogamer video man Chris Bratt.