FEATURE:
Green Days
PHOTO CREDIT: Wesley Wolfe
formats like cassettes and compact discs are not the most environmentally sound. With the plastic casing on compact discs and plastic cassettes, when people throw them away, there is that environmental impact. It is not the case that digital music leaves no carbon footprint. Streaming can be quite dangerous in terms of the emissions used at data centres etc. I feel one reason why compact discs have declined in popularity is the plastic used. Some artists release their C.D.s with carboard sleeves. Even so, as the technology is declining in general, more and more people are turning to vinyl. One of the benefits of vinyl is that people are storing theirs and they are not often disposed. People want to keep hold of their records. Even so, vinyl is not immune when it comes to its carbon footprint. From shipping and transporting of vinyl through to factories, there is a problem that needs addressing. It is great to see vinyl sales increase and record stores report booming business at a difficult time. As we look at touring and how artists can reduce their carbon footprint, we need to look at vinyl production and its impact on the environment. A recent BBC article discusses the PVC that vinyl is made of. Might there be a new solution to an issue that many are starting to become more aware of?
“With the vinyl revival showing no sign of easing up, its environmental impact is becoming more of a concern.
There were 22 times more vinyl albums sold in the UK in 2020 than in 2007 - with sales leaping from 210,000 to 4.8 million.
The most recent figures from the British Phonographic Industry reveal sales grew by more than 30% in 2020 alone, bringing in revenue of more than £86m.
PHOTO CREDIT: @rocinante_11/Unsplash
For the first time since the late 80s, the value of record sales in 2021 is expected to surpass that of CDs - although it still lags way behind digital streaming and downloads.
As sales rise, record labels and artists are beginning to look at sustainability issues.
PVC (poly vinyl chloride), the plastic from which records are made, isn't exactly environmentally friendly.
"Vinyl is a form of plastic that is quite difficult to recycle," says Dr Sharon George, senior lecturer in the environment and sustainability at Keele University.
"The C in PVC means chloride (from chlorine) which is quite toxic and difficult to handle. This is one of the reasons recyclers don't really like PVC, so it tends to either go to the landfill or incineration."
That has led some in the industry to begin exploring alternatives.
In 2019, Mercury Prize-nominated singer-songwriter Nick Mulvey achieved a world first by releasing his single In The Anthropocene on what has become known as "ocean vinyl".
"Ocean vinyl was a high-quality playable record made entirely from recycled plastic from the local ocean found in beach combs in the south of the UK," says the musician.
The project was a joint venture with Cornwall-based Sharps Brewery, with all the proceeds going to the charity Surfers Against Sewage.
The record was cut in Florida by Wesley Wolfe, whose company Tangible Formats makes custom bespoke records.
PHOTO CREDIT: @florenciaviadana/Unsplash
He says the raw materials were challenging to say the least. "We had fishing nets, fishing line, candy wrappers, potato chip bags. It was rubbish. Trash."
Ninja Tune's chair Peter Quicke says methods to use recycled plastics are still in their infancy.
"Making vinyl more sustainable is about first doing lighter-weight pressings, 140g pressings as opposed to 180g," he says. "It's about using PVC that's produced in the most environmentally-friendly way."
He says making vinyl in the European Union, where Ninja Tune presses most of its records, is better than making it anywhere else, because of tougher environmental standards for the raw materials.
Not disposable
"It's using recycled cardboard and recycled vinyl where you can and distributing the vinyl in as sustainable a way as possible."
But might the environmental credentials of vinyl records actually be stronger than you think?
Dr George says what's good about them is they are very much seen as "non-disposable" products.
"One of the things about vinyl in record form is that quite often we have this relationship with it like no other form of plastic," she says.
"Vinyl records come under that category of things that we will keep for years and years and even pass on to our children and grandchildren."
As long as we treasure vinyl and it's priced accordingly, it actually stands up quite well against digital forms of music such as streaming and downloading in terms of sustainability, Dr George adds”.
PHOTO CREDIT: @jonasleupe/Unsplash
Whereas compact discs and cassettes are smaller and people quite often bin them, vinyl is this physical thing that is more precious. People pass records down through the generations so, even though there is this rise in vinyl sales, so many of those albums will be held onto for many years to come. Even so, production of this influx means that there is the question around environmental concerns. I have been thinking about that recent BBC article and ways in which vinyl production could change. By recycling and reusing waste material and not having to rely on PVC, that means that we may get to a stage where all records will be made from a new form of material. Of course, this sort of production and solution is in its early phases. There is still the matter of vinyl production facilities and shipping. That may be an issue that is harder to tackle. At the moment, there is positive news. If vinyl sales were in decline, perhaps there would be less urgency regarding an environmentally-friendly answer to using PVC. There are vinyl pressing plants that aim to be as green as possible. This is another positive move forward. It is good to see. As there is this resurgence and continued growth in vinyl sales, production is also increasing. A lot of people will look on with interest and see how vinyl literally changes in the coming years. Whilst it might be unusual not having the usual black vinyl look or the usual feel, it is about the sound and importance of the format. If we can, as record buyers, do as much as possible to protect the environment and possibly reuse waste, then that is…
PHOTO CREDIT: @rocinante_11/Unsplash
A cause for celebration.