sentiment : Billie Eilish caused a scrap of a stir ( seemingly with Taylor Swift fans ) when she annotate on the body politic of vinyl releases forRecord Store Daywhen she talked about the waste of multiple releases . And she made a apt point about it .

And it ’s not just multiple vinyl releases that should be viewed as uneconomical , but the vinyl radical record manufacture as a whole is rather wasteful in its access to sustainability , an view that should – and likely will – be come under the microscope as vinyl group continues its resurgence among music fans .

The company search to take on this progeny isEvolution Music , headed by its CEO Marc Carey , who occur to a Clarity Alliance event in May to arrange his stalling out .

He started as a DJ back in the 80s but as a keen conservationist , he work in the clean technical school sector conducting research about material and worldwide sustainability , make for that involved working for local authorisation too .

At the same fourth dimension he was still DJ - ing , turning it into the UIC radio show . Having uprise tired of act in the incorporated / local politics area , concerned by greenwashing issues and not having enough impact on sustainability , he focus on the radio show , crop with established artists but mainly also concentrate on springboarding new talent . And with this environmental bent , the ethos and value orientation behind UIC was based on the permaculture movement – “ People Care , Earth Care , Fair Share ” .

The Earth Care prospect of that demonstrate hard workings in the music industry in term of finding sustainable options , and like a lightning bolt , an thought winkle into being with regards to vinyl production .

And here we get to the crux of the matter , with estimates putting vinyl manufacturing as creating over 300,000 metric ton of PVC every year – how to trim down that ? By create a new type of record that will work withany record actor .

Evolution Music calls it EvoVinyl , which is produce in the same agency as traditional PVC LPs ( to deflect having to install a raw , more expensive readiness - up ) , but the raw material have changed in using bioplastics ( renewable biomass beginning ) , the sustainability remit protract further ensure the packaging ( reused cardboard ) for phonograph record is more planet - friendly than before .

Plenty of testing and proving the construct from the Diamond Black pressing works in Luton to a test listen with Mark ’s booster Rob Cass at Abbey Road , and also take their EvoVinyl to the National Physical Laboratory to test against traditional vinyl radical – and they found there was “ no real difference of opinion ” .

There is surface noise , which is being addressed , and the one difference they did determine was that the biomaterial used dissipated atmospheric static well . With traditional vinyl , static can move the phone and unremarkably involves more care and sustenance .

Having prove it can be a ) be bring about and b ) vie well against vinyl radical performance , the next hurdle was to see what the music industriousness makes of it .

So far it ’s been positive .

Brian Eno’sEarthPercent charityhas done proof of concepts , include Michael Stipe ’s record album from 2022 , with EvoVinyl used for records as part of the EarthDay 2023 concert , with Coldplay , Chvrches , Nile Rodgers , and Emeli Sande just some of a few who had records pressed to EvoVinyl as part of the concert .

Need more convincing?

As Evolution Music has put to work with more pressing plants , they ’ve found that because EvoVinyl presses at a lower temperature saving about 30 % in terminal figure of vigor costs , and its cycle time is 50 % quicker ( the sentence it takes to crusade a record ) .

But do n’t think of that to intend that EvoVinyl will be glaringly less expensive than the alternative . Vinyl is expensive , which hold it prohibitive for some to get into , and EvoVinyl is probable to be the same , and with Gen Z let on vinyl , lower cost are authoritative to keepvinyl ’s impulse going .

But the hope is that urge on plants will give over more tune for its production ( and why would n’t they with the savings involved ) , and over time this will reduce the price because of the shell it ’s being manufactured at .

British hi - fi brand PMC has invest in EvoVinyl as part of its consignment to sustainability , and it ’s likely that you ’ll be hear more as Evolution Music and EvoVinyl gain grip .

It ’s true what Billie Eilish said about the amount of waste vinyl group production can produce , but the answer is n’t days away but is available right now . You might not have realised or even think about it , vinyl is on the cusp of changing for the better .