The Vinyl File Producers Affiliation (VRMA) and the Vinyl Alliance have printed the vinyl document trade’s First Carbon Footprinting Report, inspecting the environmental influence and emissions generated from manufacturing and distributing vinyl information.
The report analyzes knowledge gathered from this pre-playback portion of a vinyl document’s lifespan, comprising one yr of emissions knowledge from London urgent plant Vinyl Manufacturing facility Manufacturing Ltd., Sheffield stamper producer Stamper Discs, and Bristol chopping studio Optimum Mastering.
The VRMA and Vinyl Alliance word that carbon footprints will fluctuate by producer however “hope this report will encourage many extra companies within the provide chain to take part,” in keeping with the research.
The report discovered that a regular, black, 140g vinyl document produces simply over 1 kg of carbon dioxide equal emissions. Excellent news for vinyl fanatics—that’s lower than the carbon footprint of 1 pint of cow’s milk, in keeping with the research. Nevertheless, this footprint will increase by 14% for 180g information and 19% for 200g. Particular colours and spatter designs see emissions rise by 26%.
Elsewhere, the report notes that fifty% of a vinyl document’s carbon emissions come from the PVC compound used to press the information, and one other 30% are from power consumption on the manufacturing facility. Print packaging, like jackets, inserts, and sleeves, comprise 13% of vinyl’s carbon footprint, in keeping with the report.
The VRMA and Vinyl Alliance counsel substituting these PVC compounds with “bio-attributed” hydrocarbons, which may cut back vinyl’s carbon footprint to 0.7kg of carbon dioxide equal emissions. Different footprint-minimizing suggestions embrace urgent solely on 140g vinyl, simplifying packaging, and lowering air freight shipments.
“In an age of deliberate obsolescence, vinyl has some issues in its favour,” the report reads. “Information are cherished for generations. They don’t degrade, hardly ever go to landfill, however as an alternative transfer from assortment to assortment, or proceed their lives in charity outlets.”
“On the identical time, they’ve historically been made out of a plastic compound derived from fossil gasoline, in an power intensive course of.” the report continues. “We hope this report—and a sequence of subsequent updates—encourages everybody within the vinyl document trade to be radically clear in regards to the environmental influence of creating vinyl information, and what steps we are able to take to scale back that influence.”
Learn the VRMA and Vinyl Alliance’s full report right here.
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