SANTA FE NEW MEXICO – 9 DECEMBER 2019: A copy the record album, ‘Johnny Cash at Folsom prison’. … [+]Santa Fe, New Mexico antique shop for sale. Columbia Records released the vinyl record on January 28, 1968.(Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images).
Tomorrow (23 April) will be Record Store Day. It is an opportunity for music fans around the globe to gather and indulge in their favorite pastime, without fear of judgement or next month’s credit card statement.
Vinyl records are back and they are big!
According to the British Phonographic IndustryIn 2021, 5.3 million LPs had been sold.
While streaming is now 83% of UK music consumption and vinyl LPs account for over 25% of all physical format purchases, it’s still a significant portion of UK music sales.
Vinyl records are made of plastic, which, as we all know, is not good news for the planet. Most vinyl records also come shrink-wrapped, often in even more plastic.
Researchers at Keele UniversityVinyl records have an average weight of 135g and a carbon footprint around 0.5kg.
This calculation assumes that sales of 4.1 million records would result in 1,900 tonnes CO2 (which does not include transport and packaging).
The music industry, like many other sectors following COP26, is keen to demonstrate its sustainability skills. Therefore, more should be done to promote eco-friendly methods to produce vinyl and to enjoy the music that we all love.
Simon Parker, founder of Naked, an eco-friendly record club, stated that he knew he was selling vinyl records made from plastic but it had never been a concern to him as vinyl records have such a long life expectancy.
Forbes told him that vinyl records are not something people consider to have an environmental impact. Vinyl records have been around for so long that we take their existence as a given. We soon realized there was a problem when we began to investigate.
Parker was only inspired to start a club for vinyl records with sustainable goals after the Covid lockdown.
Parker chose the Deepgrooves pressing facility in the Netherlands. This is a 99% carbon-neutral factory where all vinyl contains non-toxic mineral additions.
Parker also chose 140-gram vinyl over 180-grams, which is the standard for reissued vinyl records. Parker stated that this makes no difference in the sound quality of the final product.
Chris Roorda is the CEO and owner at Deepgrooves. He stated that when Deepgrooves began production in 2017, they made the conscious decision to make it as sustainable as possible.
Forbes was told that many of the current vinyl plants date back to the 1960s and 70s, when sustainability was less critical. Vinyl is made from PVC, which can contain lead, as well as other materials.
Roorda said at Deepgrooves they use a calcium-zinc based type of PVC, which contains environmentally-friendly non-toxic stabilizers.
He also stated that almost all of the production is circular, with very little waste being recycled or upcycled into new products. All printing and finishing are done using vegan ink. In combination with zero waste couriers for land deliveries, packaging and finishing are both environmentally friendly. He also said that the plant can also be powered by renewable energy.
Roorda stated that although many music companies are rethinking the way they do business around sustainability, they continue to produce at old-fashioned plants due to the demand for vinyl records.
However, we also see companies that stick to sustainable practices because it is the right thing to do. Artists are also demanding eco-friendly records. They want the vinyl to look as good and green as possible so they are looking at alternatives to traditional pressing methods.
I am revealing that I queued for three hours at a Record Store Day to purchase the Tardis blue vinyl reissue of the 1975 Doctor Who story Genesis of The Daleks. I have the Blu Ray and DVD, CD, and Target novelisation. Thank you for your question.