![]() “ For consumers, it is not possible to know how the PVC was made. Single-use plastic shrink-wrap is also required by large retailers to protect records during shipping, exacerbating the global plastic waste problem.Īnd the vinyl boom also has some potentially negative implications for human health, with PVC and other record components posing possible risks. The emissions add to the climate crisis, and more vinyl production means even more greenhouse gases. ![]() pressing plants also use antiquated, energy- and water-intensive steam boilers and a toxic brew of chemicals to pump out records, giving vinyl 12 times the greenhouse emissions of other physical music media. Sony Music ordered 500,000 vinyl copies of Adele’s “30” in advance of its November release to ensure there’d be enough supply to meet demand from shoppers.īut with this massive surge in demand and production, how much is the vinyl record industry doing to ensure long-term environmental sustainability? Track 1: Mo money, mo problemsĪs the profitability of vinyl rises, associated pollution risks also spike.Ī vinyl record’s main component is the plastic polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, derived from petrochemicals like natural gas, which emit large amounts of greenhouse gases. The ongoing pressure for record presses to churn out even more vinyl product has intensified during the gift-giving holiday season. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and millions of copies of chart-topping albums by Pink Floyd. Vinyl production is ramping up to levels not seen since the 1960s and 1970s, when printing presses churned out the likes of the two-disc “Sgt. LP releases from newer artists like Billie Eilish and Harry Styles are outpacing classic rock mainstays like Queen and Fleetwood Mac. Customers are now skewing younger and female. Ĭhanges in who’s buying music also has an impact. A belief in higher music quality combined with the physical and visual appeal of vinyl are key reasons. During the pandemic, vinyl sales initially slumped, but then exploded, with sales rising 108 percent in the first six months of 2021. ![]() surpassed CD sales for the first time since 1986. ![]() The developments suggest a possible future where vinyl can continue to be in demand, but in an environmentally friendly way. Other manufacturers are eyeing alternatives to the potentially harmful toxics in their products. Demand for vinyl records is soaring, but there’s something funky about this musical comeback – the energy and chemicals involved with producing the iconic circular discs creates pollution, adds to the climate crisis and may harm our health.īut it’s not all sour notes, because some vinyl producers are experimenting with ways to make records that are much less carbon intensive. ![]()
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