Seriously, I read something about how a lot of recycling just ends up in landfills anyway. It made me feel like reducing waste in the first place is the bigger problem. Really makes you look at that bin differently.
But what about the whole experience, the_blake? That box art is part of what you're buying, a physical thing for a digital hobby. If everything went to downloads only, you lose the manuals, the maps, the stuff that makes it feel real. My old game boxes are display pieces, not just trash. Cutting all that out to save some cardboard might ruin the fun for a lot of collectors. The industry can't just stop making cool stuff because of some waste.