According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), an American nonprofit specializing in environmental activism, vinyl record sales surpassed CD sales in 2020 for the first time since 1986.
Industry experts cite various reasons for the revival of vinyl use, including their tactile appeal.
Jesse Kaplan-Maier ‘27 started collecting vinyl records in the spring of 2022. “I thought that the prospect of having a physical vinyl would be really cool,” he said.
Some prefer the listening experience on vinyl. “The quality of the sound [on vinyl] is just unmatched,” said Director of Service Learning Katina Papson-Rigby. “So when I want the visceral experience of listening to music, I’ll put a record on … instead of streaming [digital music].”
While many enjoy the experience of listening to vinyl, there are drawbacks to physical records’ renewed popularity.
The vast majority of vinyl records are made out of a material called polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, according to EWG. The plastic is prized for its many uses; in addition to vinyl records, PVC is used to make some types of pipes, shoes and flooring. However, a number of environmental consequences are linked to its production.
PVC is a polymer of highly toxic vinyl chloride gas, a known carcinogen, meaning it is a substance linked to causing cancer. According to statistics from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the combination of petrochemicals (chemicals derived from natural gas) and pollutants generated by vinyl pressing plants in the United States during PVC production creates greenhouse gas emissions at 12 times the rate of other physical music media such as CDs.
A 2019 article from Keele University in England states, “Modern records typically contain around 135g of PVC material with a carbon footprint of 0.5kg of CO2. … Sales of 4.1 [million] records would produce 1.9 thousand tonnes of CO2 — not taking transport and packaging into account.”
For reference, in 2022 average CO2 emissions per capita in the U.S. was 14.9 tonnes, according to a profile of CO2 emissions in the U.S. from Our World in Data.
Because of the PVC used to make them, vinyl records are not easily recyclable. However, records’ environmental impact may not be at the forefront of many vinyl-listeners’ minds.
Sena Werdegar ‘27, a student at Lick Wilmerding High School who collects vinyl, said, “I feel like I think about [environmental impact] in other aspects of my life, but I guess [vinyl records] never really crossed my mind until recently.”
Music artists and their marketing teams commonly target fans by advertising their records as collectibles and releasing several vinyl versions of an album. Artists encourage fans to purchase multiple editions, both earning more royalties for the artist and contributing to the mass production of records.
“Buying multiple editions of the same album can be a bit excessive. I think it really exemplifies the culture of American consumerism,” said Werdegar.
Some artists, however, are seeking more eco-friendly alternatives to traditional vinyl. Billie Eilish is one example of a well-known music artist shifting away from typical vinyl products.
While Eilish plans to release eight different versions of her album on vinyl, each variant will be made of more eco-friendly alternatives to PVC. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the black variant will be made of 100% recycled vinyl, and the other seven colors will be made from Eco-mix — composed of multicolored off-cuts from other albums — or BioVinyl, which replaces the petroleum oil used in manufacturing with recycled cooking oil.
More sustainable options like Eco-mix and BioVinyl are a step in the right direction, but many vinyl-producing record labels would need to make a number of expensive modifications in order to lessen their environmental impact, according to EWG.
Papson-Rigby noted that the more complicated process of producing Eco-mix and BioVinyl may make the alternatives less accessible to lesser-known artists with smaller platforms. “I think that finding a balance between making a living as an artist and also caring for the planet is very important,” she said.
While vinyl production has historically been detrimental to the environment, the revival of vinyl brings an opportunity for a new generation of music artists and fans to emphasize the importance of sustainability.
Kaplan-Maier said, “It’s pretty easy to promote sustainability to [the younger] community … and I think we need to take every opportunity we can get to spread the message.”
