“We believe the consumer is looking for this,” says Bill Sondheim, president of entertainment and worldwide distribution for Gaiam. “Retailers who step out and embrace this type of thing will be rewarded.”

Sondheim would like to see his competitors make more of a commitment to going green as well. “We have made a pretty significant financial commitment,” he says of Gaiam's green DVD efforts, which began with eco-friendly packaging for its fitness titles. “We hope others will adopt similar packaging, so the costs can come down.” He praises the DEG's Green Media Summit held in Los Angeles in April to address such issues.

The Green Solutions initiative fits in with an overall green philosophy at Gaiam. The company's new headquarters building in Colorado is heated by solar panels, which is unusual for a large building, Sondheim says. Besides being on the forefront of the move to green packaging for DVDs, the company also is bringing a broader array of green products to market, such as solar-powered backpacks and battery-free flashlights.

Green Solutions titles will be eco-friendly inside and out. All the titles will use packaging that is 100% recyclable and biodegradable, manufactured by Napco. The paperboard packaging is designed to be light but tough, made from 100% post-consumer waste, and is printed with soy-based ink.

Green Solutions titles will include Growing Green Babies ($19.98), which shows mothers-to-be how to have a natural pregnancy and raise a child in an ecologically friendly way. The initiative also will include Ed Begley Jr.'s HGTV entertainment reality series Living With Ed. Gaiam has already released the first season; Season 2 ($24.98) will be released in September.

Also included in Green Solutions will be Green Remodeling 101, which shows how to do easy and cost-effective renovation projects. Also, author Danny Seo provides tips for living an eco-friendly lifestyle in Simple Steps to a Greener Home ($19.98 each).

Street date is Sept. 2 (prebook July 22).