How the music business is putting a green spin on vinyl records

Vinyl records were once written off as relics. First, they were replaced by shiny compact discs that (supposedly) offered superior sound. Then streaming took over, allowing fans to carry vast music collections with them wherever they go.

In recent years, vinyl sales have turned around. In 2022, vinyl outsold CDs in the U.S. for the first time since 1987, with over 41 million records sold. More and more musical acts — including the unchallenged ruler of the pop music world, Taylor Swift — are releasing LP's. Swift set the standard by putting out multiple pressings of her albums in different colours, leaving Swifties scrambling to collect them all.

For those of a certain age, the record revival stirs feelings of nostalgia as a new generation tunes in to the warm, clear sound of vinyl. But this is the 21st century, the age of climate change — and vinyl's new fans want to know what all those records are doing to the environment.

"The industry has been going through more and more reflection in recent years as the vinyl boom has accelerated," said Paul Miller, vice president of sales at Precision Record Pressing in Burlington, Ont.

"On the one hand, it's something that plants are really beginning to contend with and, on the other hand, we're seeing more requests from artists asking what our sustainability efforts are."

Records are made from polyvinyl chloride, commonly known as PVC. It's a petroleum product derived from a complex chemical process. A vinyl record that winds up in a landfill lasts more or less forever. So the focus at Precision, Miller said, is on minimizing waste.

"The most impactful thing is to send as little to landfill as possible," he said.

To help reduce waste, Precision offers what it calls its Eco Mix. Misprinted or rejected albums that come off its presses are ground up, along with vinyl shavings left over from the manufacturing process, and then used to make new records.

Record plants have always tried to re-use this scrap material but Miller said his plant has taken it a step further. It's been sorting its leftover vinyl by colour so it can offer artists who want to use recycled material a choice of six distinctive shades; red, blue, green, yellow/orange, purple/pink and grey.

"The industry has had a recycled vinyl product for some time, typically called 'random colour,'" Miller said. "What that is is a grab bag of re-ground colours thrown together into a surprise colour.

"Sometimes it looks okay. Sometimes it has a bit of a baby vomit look. So it does the trick as far as being a sustainable product, but it's not that beautiful."

Eco Mix is priced the same as single-colour vinyl and boasts identical sound quality, Miller said, making it an attractive choice for artists looking to make an environmental statement.

Pop star Billie Eilish is releasing a special version of her debut album using the recycled material. Smaller bands and labels are also taking notice.

"Cost is good but being a little eco-friendly is something that I find important," said Josh Wickins, who runs Wormwood Records in Ajax, Ont.