BTS' j-hope released his album Jack in the Box on July 15, 2022. (Image via Twitter/@bts_bighit)HYBE labels recently caused controversy when they released a new BTS merch called BTS RECIPE BOOK: The Book of Tasty Stories.Netizens called out the label for hypocrisy by not releasing j-hope's physical albums in the name of their new ESG strategy.j-hope's Jack in the Box album was recently released digitally. The company stated that there would not be a physical album, and the fans who purchased the merchandise in the name of the album would get 2 photo cards, a card holder and a QR code to access the songs as part of the package.BTS ⟭⟬ Merch⁷⟬⟭@BTSMerchUpdatesJ-Hope Jack in the Box Weverse album- Pre-order June 27 11am KST- Release July 29 1pm KSTCONTENTS- Card holder (1 of 2)- Photocard A (1 type) / W54*H86 (mm)- Photocard B (1 of 2) / W54*H86 (mm)- QR card (User guide) / W54*H86 (mm)Weverse album - Use Weverse Albums app36271553J-Hope Jack in the Box Weverse album- Pre-order June 27 11am KST- Release July 29 1pm KSTCONTENTS- Card holder (1 of 2)- Photocard A (1 type) / W54*H86 (mm)- Photocard B (1 of 2) / W54*H86 (mm)- QR card (User guide) / W54*H86 (mm)Weverse album - Use Weverse Albums app https://t.co/1D5M9Eis2WFans called out Hybe for being biased when it came to releasing new merchandise in a physical form against j-hope's first solo venture.BIGHIT MUSIC@BIGHIT_MUSICj-hope 'Jack In The Box'#jhope #제이홉 #JackInTheBox891867346887j-hope 'Jack In The Box'#jhope #제이홉 #JackInTheBox https://t.co/aVVBwH3QbTHYBE labels came under fire for new BTS merchandisekt | #BTSWhatsNew Daily Updates (SLOW)@ktluvs_BTS [@HYBE_EDU] BTS RECIPE BOOK: Book of Tasty Stories Release Announcement (July 28)+🆕 [@HYBE_EDU] BTS RECIPE BOOK: Book of Tasty Stories Release Announcement (July 28)+ https://t.co/7Z0pdDeW6uHYBE labels released news of their new ESG strategy to make their company more environmentally sustainable. The decision came after several media and public debates on the unsustainable nature of the K-pop industry, especially with regard to album sales.Mass purchase of albums to boost K-pop groups' popularity and then their disposal led to a problem of increasing plastic production and consumption.KEI@KoreaEconInstSocially conscious K-pop fans are demanding more from South Korean entertainment companies. Can this lead to meaningful adoption of environmental policies in the industry? asks KEI's Mai Pressley via @Diplomat_APAC thediplomat.com/2021/12/k-pop-…Socially conscious K-pop fans are demanding more from South Korean entertainment companies. Can this lead to meaningful adoption of environmental policies in the industry? asks KEI's Mai Pressley via @Diplomat_APAC thediplomat.com/2021/12/k-pop-…TMIKpop@tmikpopA few excerpts from this article: n.news.naver.com/entertain/arti… Ent companies include photo cards randomly in albums which encourages fans to buy dozens or hundreds of albums in order to obtain the photo of a desired member. No wonder its called 포카도박 (gambling with photo cards)36072A few excerpts from this article: n.news.naver.com/entertain/arti… Ent companies include photo cards randomly in albums which encourages fans to buy dozens or hundreds of albums in order to obtain the photo of a desired member. No wonder its called 포카도박 (gambling with photo cards)TMIKpop@tmikpopDomestic and international fans keep only the photo cards enclosed in the album or as a tool to win entry into a fan sign, the albums are bought in bulk and then trashed. Kpop is becoming a vicious cycle of environmental destruction.587155Domestic and international fans keep only the photo cards enclosed in the album or as a tool to win entry into a fan sign, the albums are bought in bulk and then trashed. Kpop is becoming a vicious cycle of environmental destruction.TMIKpop@tmikpopThe above article and then the others linked below talk about the different strategies of the companies. JYP: First ent co to implement K-RE100, a campaign for companies to fund 100% of a company's energy through renewable resources. Also contributing $$ to Love Earth25542The above article and then the others linked below talk about the different strategies of the companies. JYP: First ent co to implement K-RE100, a campaign for companies to fund 100% of a company's energy through renewable resources. Also contributing $$ to Love EarthMany companies have, since, implemented various environmentally conscious policies in the name of ESG, one of them being the decision to sell only photo cards instead of vinyls.Hybe labels then rolled out the policy with j-hope's first solo album. Not presenting a physical version of the album caused concerns among fans regarding j-hope's inability to measure the success of his new project in the absence of album sales figures. Fans are worried that the strategy might also result in lower profits.HYBE's recent release of BTS RECIPE BOOK: Book of Tasty Stories has angered netizens since they believe HYBE is being a hypocrite by not promoting j-hope's first album, but has no qualms about the environment when releasing less relevant BTS merchandise.HYBE EDU@HYBE_EDUBTS RECIPE BOOK: Book of Tasty Stories 오래 기다리셨죠? 곧 출시됩니다!We promise the wait will have been worth it! Coming to you very soon!🧑‍ 2022.07.28 Coming soon229355748BTS RECIPE BOOK: Book of Tasty Stories 오래 기다리셨죠? 곧 출시됩니다!We promise the wait will have been worth it! Coming to you very soon!🧑‍🍳📗📙 2022.07.28 Coming soon https://t.co/54PPAMtNBXFans have called out the company for trying to extract profit from the group's brand image by sidelining the artist's creative work.The agency was also criticized for experimenting with the new strategy on j-hope's first solo project when other groups released physical versions of their albums.j-hope Jack in the Box@cypher567Lee Mi-kyung can go experiment on another artist's album. I'd rather you not experiment on j-hope's sign ALBUM while you continue to produce 10+ versions for other groups #HYBE twitter.com/tmikpop/status…TMIKpop@tmikpopHYBE: appointed new board member Lee Mi-kyung, CEO of GreenFund (first woman outside director for the co) in March. Director Lee is a rep of an NGO and an ESG expert, was a member of the Carbon Neutrality Commission.196HYBE: appointed new board member Lee Mi-kyung, CEO of GreenFund (first woman outside director for the co) in March. Director Lee is a rep of an NGO and an ESG expert, was a member of the Carbon Neutrality Commission.Lee Mi-kyung can go experiment on another artist's album. I'd rather you not experiment on j-hope's sign ALBUM while you continue to produce 10+ versions for other groups #HYBE twitter.com/tmikpop/status…Cherry♡¹³🍒🐥 •PJM1•@LilCherryJM_13No physical album for the boys for saving the environment but making every merch related to them to make people buy....what kind of behaviour is this company only knows money 🥴 twitter.com/HYBE_EDU/statu…HYBE EDU@HYBE_EDUBTS RECIPE BOOK: Book of Tasty Stories 오래 기다리셨죠? 곧 출시됩니다!We promise the wait will have been worth it! Coming to you very soon!🧑‍ 2022.07.28 Coming soon25766BTS RECIPE BOOK: Book of Tasty Stories 오래 기다리셨죠? 곧 출시됩니다!We promise the wait will have been worth it! Coming to you very soon!🧑‍🍳📗📙 2022.07.28 Coming soon https://t.co/54PPAMtNBXNo physical album for the boys for saving the environment but making every merch related to them to make people buy....what kind of behaviour is this 😐 company only knows money 🥴 twitter.com/HYBE_EDU/statu…yasirius BAD DECISIONS@2seokarsonist@vmingamer @HYBE_EDU everyone very excited about merch but without realizing this issue of the hobi album......... where is the concern with the environment?20@vmingamer @HYBE_EDU everyone very excited about merch but without realizing this issue of the hobi album......... where is the concern with the environment?daia 𓆩♡𓆪@oruI8jimin@HYBE_EDU and what about j-hope's album? give him a proper one1@HYBE_EDU and what about j-hope's album? give him a proper oneBedsit Diary 💜@bedsitdiary@HYBE_EDU You print this on paper but Hobi can't have a photobook or CD. You've destroyed his chance of charting and places Weverse doesn't ship to, like the UK can't buy it at all. And TXT albums Thursday's Child and Freeze were in plastic!30@HYBE_EDU You print this on paper but Hobi can't have a photobook or CD. You've destroyed his chance of charting and places Weverse doesn't ship to, like the UK can't buy it at all. And TXT albums Thursday's Child and Freeze were in plastic!yasirius BAD DECISIONS@2seokarsonist@HYBE_EDU hybe when it comes tojitb: oh no but the enviroment 🥺🥺🥺merch: well 🤪🤪🤪🤩485@HYBE_EDU hybe when it comes tojitb: oh no but the enviroment 🥺🥺🥺💚🌳merch: well 🤪🤪🤪🤩❤️Hybe labels have also come under fire for expanding their model by shifting to NFTs. Non-fungible tokens, acronymed NFT, are individual works of cryptographic art that can be bought and sold independently of one another. These tokens are detrimental to the environment as they contribute to the carbon dioxide emissions caused by cryptocurrency-trading.Bluehorizon7/Slow@Bluehor91650434Bang PD sorry but this doesn’t make any sense. NFT is a blockchain that needs huge amount of energy. Bts are engaged in climate crisis. Tou want to make money from Bts NFT. #ArmyagainstNFT #ARMY#HYBE21Bang PD sorry but this doesn’t make any sense. NFT is a blockchain that needs huge amount of energy. Bts are engaged in climate crisis. Tou want to make money from Bts NFT. #ArmyagainstNFT #ARMY#HYBE https://t.co/9kR7aXRgRTCatBlank@Ro5alynn#ARMYagainstNFTThis corporation #HYBE is abusing a fandom that makes eco-sustainable projects. Understand we do not want your NFT.#BoycottHYBENFT4#ARMYagainstNFTThis corporation #HYBE is abusing a fandom that makes eco-sustainable projects. Understand we do not want your NFT.#BoycottHYBENFTHYBE recently upgraded its business model to focus on two new projects, one of which is a large-scale joint endeavor with Dunamu to establish an NFT exchange platform. Netizens from around the world criticized this move. They believe that the ulterior motive behind the decision is to give the company’s image a makeover so as to shift the focus off their upcoming plans that will be highly detrimental to the environment.BTS' rapper j-hope released his first solo album Jack in the Box on July 15, 2022.The More singer will be the first K-pop artist to be headlining the US music festival Lollapalooza in Chicago on July 31, 2022. The music festival will kick-off on July 28, and will continue for four days.