According to a report on videobusiness.com, office-supply chain Staples will begin to sell Flexplay time-limited, recyclable DVDs as an alternative to DVD rentals.

The report goes on to say that Staples will stock about 25 recently released titles at a time to be sold for between four and six dollars, making the cost comparable to that of a standard rental—only one that never has to be returned and can be recycled after its expiration date.

According to Flexplay’s Web site, discs become inoperable 48 hours after being removed from their sealed package. Once the disc is exposed to oxygen, a controlled chemical reaction occurs with the adhesive inside of the disc that once completed, inhibits the DVD player’s laser beam from reading the disc’s data.

The Web site continues to say that once the disc is rendered useless as a movie, the user can recycle it at a local facility. Users can also mail the disc to Flexplay for free by printing a pre-paid label from the company’s Web site or drop the disc at a retail collection box and Flexplay will recycle the disc.

In addition, the Flexplay Web site says that the chemical reaction in no way degrades the audio or video quality of playback until, naturally, the point when the disc becomes fully inoperable at 48 hours after opening.

According to the videobusiness.com report, Flexplay has deals with DreamWorks, Paramount Home Entertainment, New Line Home Entertainment, and Warner Home Video, so titles from those studios will grace Staples shelves nationwide. Staples hopes the allure of not accruing late fees and the disc’s ability to be recycled will make it a popular choice for busy and environmentally conscious consumers.