For those that have been reading my articles for some time (this is Rich, by the way, better known as "Not Dave"), I can’t stand optical discs. They’re slow to write, scratch easily, have inferior life span compared to USB sticks and the list goes on.
However the one thing I absolutely can’t argue with is that it currently is the absolute cheapest way to back up your stuff. Being the frugal guy I am, that’s why I use them.
The one thing I can’t stand more than optical discs are jewel cases. You know these as the "plastic case that always has the flap fall off at the hinge, rendering it useless."
I absolutely will not use jewel cases. Instead, I use paper sleeves and you should too.
Here’s why:
1. You can write on them with a regular pen.
Pen or pencil, actually. No labels required. No Sharpie marker required. Very convenient.
2. They stack easier.
Paper sleeves are, obviously, paper thin. So you can stack more of them at a time while still protecting the discs.
3. You can buy a lot more of them at any given time.
They come in 50-packs and stay in a nice tidy little box.
4. You don’t mind giving them away.
Situation: A friend comes over. You show him or her the latest version of some freeware you just downloaded and they want a copy. So you burn a copy on disc. The friend asks for a case to put the disc in. You have a few, but really don’t want to part with them because they’re so scarce.
With paper sleeves you simply don’t care. Pop in a sleeve, give to the friend with a smile because you’ve got a ton of them.
5. Cheap!
Self-explanatory.
Crafty tip: You can make your own paper sleeves. Impress your friends. See video below.
So yeah, if you’re just that cheap, you can grab a piece of paper out of your printer and make your sleeves that way. 
I totally agree. The paper sleeves take less space, lighter in weight, and easier to store. It’s all good.
But, but, but…
Didn’t you say “scratch easily, have inferior life span”? That’s why I’ve always used Jewel cases, or the loose leaf type binders for my disks-to protect them. When I buy software, the first thing I do is throw out the paper sleeve. Actually I put them in a drawer to give to my “friends”.
You’re screwed using any, actually. With the jewel cases you have to slightly bend the disc when pulled to take it out of the case. This doesn’t scratch it but can cause tiny fractures. With binders the cotton side is fine but the plastic sticks over time, forcing you to pull the disc out which can bend and fracture it.
The best of the best concerning disc protection are sleeves with cotton inserts on the front and rear. There’s no bending or scratching whatsoever at any time.
Yes, I always wondered about the flexing. I also have wondered why some clever engineer can’t design a jewel case that works like a DVD case-poke the center spindle and the disk pops free….
There’s a possible issue with paper or card sleeves, which is that some types give off acid vapour which can degrade the CDs.
What about it being better for the environment too? It’s a shame that Sony did not make Blu-Ray discs out of paper as well, in the end, like they had investigated in doing early on.