FEATURE:
Messages in a Bottle
PHOTO CREDIT: cottonbro studio/Pexels
Why Coldplay’s Vinyl Innovation Should Be Adopted More Widely
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WITH the climate crisis…
IN THIS PHOTO: The U.K. office of Warner Music says plastic bottles were the source material for the recycled-content PET (rPET) used to make the Coldplay albums, which were produced using injection-moulding technology/PHOTO CREDIT: Warner Music Group
getting out of control and there is emphasis on doing as much as we can to protect and preserve the planet, there is obviously consideration towards recycling and plastic waste. In terms of the music industry, there are ways in which it comes do more to reduce its carbon footprint and be more environmentally aware. Artists are reducing the distance they travel for tours and finding greener ways to travel and play. When it comes to physical music, one of the biggest problems is the materials used. How much carbon emission is produced making these products and transporting them. C.D.s and their casing have not really developed since their inception. Quite a lot of plastic used. Vinyl perhaps not the most eco-friendly or responsible material. The factories that produce vinyl records and how they are transported definitely needs to be considered. However, with the format being so popular and there being relatively few vinyl pressing plants, it is a difficult situation. If artists and labels can find other ways to produce albums more environmentally consciously, then that would be a big step. It is not the first time that alternatives to the vinyl production process have been introduced by various artists. As this article explains, Coldplay are doing their bit:
“Continuing their sustainability mission, Coldplay are re-releasing all of their albums as clear 140g EcoRecords made from recycled plastic bottles, produced using injection-moulding technology which reduces carbon emissions during manufacture by an impressive 85% compared with traditional vinyl production.
An EcoRecord sounds and looks as great as a traditional vinyl record, but it has been manufactured using 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a lightweight and durable material that is easily recyclable and designed for a circular economy, significantly contributing to reduced shipping emissions and end-of-life environmental impact.
Each 140g injection-moulded LP is made from, on average, nine recycled PET plastic bottles. These bottles are recovered from consumers as part of a process known as post-consumer recycling (PCR), where they are cleaned, processed into small pellets and then molded into new items. While EcoRecords can be made using either virgin PET or recycled PET (rPET), Coldplay has chosen to use only rPET for all their EcoRecord products.
This pioneering move follows the successful launch of the band’s 10th album, Moon Music, last year, which was already released on 100% recycled PET EcoRecords, the world’s first album released as a 140g EcoRecord rPET LP. Coldplay continues to lead the charge in making music more sustainable, building on efforts such as cutting the carbon footprint of their Music Of The Spheres World Tour by 59% to date.
Jen Ivory, Managing Director, Parlophone, says: “We are incredibly proud to partner with artists such as Coldplay who share our commitment to a more sustainable future for music. The shift to EcoRecord LP for their releases is a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets intention. It’s not just about a new product; it’s about pioneering manufacturing that significantly reduces environmental impact, providing fans with the same high-quality audio experience while setting a new standard for physical music production”.
It sound like a really good initiative. How possible and sustainable it would be for most artists to do this. With huge demand comes the need to supply. It is a very timely and expensive process to create vinyl and get it into shops. However, I do wonder whether there needs to be greater action. How many people who buy vinyl know the environmental damage being done?
IN THIS IMAGE: Billie Eilish (photo illustration by Nicholas Konrad; source photograph by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images via The New Yorker)
Coldplay’s introduction of using recycled plastic bottles for their reissues is another step in the right direction. Artists such as Billie Eilish are passionate proponents of BioVinyl – records made from bio-based PVC. Someone who is an environmental and one of the most important figures of her generation, how many other artists will join Eilish, Coldplay and those committed to doing more? This article highlights how Billie Eilish is one of the few big artists doing more to stray away from traditional vinyl:
“She has long been one of the most vocal figures on climate change in the world of music, having hosted her own climate convention, used renewable energy to power her shows, and worked with environmental nonprofits to slash the impact of touring.
Eilish is the biggest artist to embrace biovinyl, but not the first. And she joins a long tradition of musicians drawing attention to the climate emergency: British group Massive Attack, for instance, have been talking about global warming for decades, and worked with scientists to produce evidence-backed recommendations for reducing emissions from live music. Dave Matthews Band has a longstanding partnership with the environmental nonprofit Reverb. Coldplay has embraced renewable energy and green tech for their tours, cutting emissions by nearly 50% on their current tour, compared to the last one. As for Pearl Jam, they’ve been counting their carbon emissions since 2003, but last year a carbon credit provider that the band used was accused of overstating the impact of its deforestation work – a reminder that offsetting alone won’t ever be enough.
Can vinyl be better?
Environmentally, vinyl is quite nasty stuff. Vinyl records are made from PVC, which is also used to make things like water pipes, car interiors, clothing and shoes. The pellets of PVC used to make records are created by a complex procedure that starts with salt and hydrocarbon, a compound derived from fossil fuels.
“If the processes exist to create recycled or eco-friendly vinyl, why aren’t more A-listers doing it?”
Not only does PVC rely on environmentally damaging processes to create it, it’s also difficult to dispose of, due to the chemical compounds it contains. There’s no use throwing a broken or scratched vinyl record in to your plastic recycling bin at home – local waste services are generally not able to deal with it. Across European Union member states, Norway, Switzerland and the UK, only around 27% of PVC waste is recycled, and a lot of that comes from industry. In the US, trade body The Vinyl Institute says 71,000 tonnes of consumer vinyl products are recycled annually – but the US produces 7.2 million tonnes of PVC per year, so even when industrial PVC recycling is factored in, those figures suggest only around 7% of all the PVC produced in the US is actually being recycled.
But if the processes exist to create recycled or eco-friendly vinyl records, why aren’t more A-list musicians following Eilish’s example? I put this question to Chris Roorda, founder of Deepgrooves – a Netherlands-based pressing plant committed to producing records as sustainably as possible. He thinks for a moment. “I’m really not sure,” he answers. “We are talking with major labels, but it’s not really coming through.”
Deepgrooves has worked with Massive Attack, as well as Martin Garrix and environmental toxicologist-turned-DJ Jayda G. Roorda teases that he’s working with more artists that he can’t yet mention. “The resources are there,” he says. “At the moment, we specialize in biovinyl. Sound-wise, it’s the same product as a regular vinyl. Production only costs about 50 cents more per record. But we’ve seen some majors say that because it’s 50 cents more, it has to be five euros more in the shops, and I don’t think that’s fair.”
Massive Attack’s Robert del Naja has been outspoken on environmental issues. The band have funded research into how music can reduce its environmental impact. Photo: Iwi Onodera via Getty Images
Could major labels be reluctant to use slightly more expensive eco-production methods, for fear they won’t recoup the money? “That is an assumption,” says Roorda. He adds that they might also be tied into contracts with other vinyl producers, but says he’s seeing more and more artists insist on green products. “Production can be easily upscaled,” he says. “We have the resources. And when more people buy biovinyl, the price will go down”.
It is a moment when demand for vinyl keeps rising. There is this incredible passion for the format. How possible is it to use BioVinyl entirely? Coldplay’s use of recycled plastic bottles. Is this more of a novelty that could not possibly be rolled out across the world and used by all artists? Is the sound quality genuinely as good? There are ways for record buyers to become more environmentally conscious. Even know there is going to be a long way to go until vinyl is completely gone and replaced with something more environmentally sound, there are positive steps. Let’s hope that more major artists do more. There does need to be a revolution and overhaul…
IN years to come.