Can Vinyl Records Be Recycled

Learn more about what can be recycled.

Can vinyl records be recycled. Recycling guidelines can vary by location. Vinyl records are rising in popularity again and if in good condition can be donated to some charity shops. Educate yourself and become familiar with the basic rules of recycling so your good intentions aren t wasted. There are over 100 vinyl recyclers in the u s.

Aspirational or wishcycling has become a problem and entire recycling loads can end up in a landfill due to contamination by a well intentioned recycler. Landfill diversion is one of the impact categories the u s. Compilations that are actually discarded into landfills have very little environmental impact due to the fact that the vinyl material can be better broken down naturally in comparison to many other plastics. Records can be reused as is or crafted into new products.

The harmful chemicals that make vinyl records so difficult to recycle can be released into the ground and air over time so it is important to keep records out of the waste stream. If you have rare discs you may be able to sell them via online websites such as cash4records or vinyl exchange. Interested in learning more about recycling in the vinyl industry. This would look so cool sitting on someone s desk and would make for a great conversation.

Typically 60 to 70 percent of all vinyl products are made from recycled vinyl according to the vinyl institute. Vinyl industry is addressing in its industry wide sustainability initiative know as vantage vinyl. It is worth noting that records manufactured before the 1950s were made out of shellac not vinyl. Vinyl records were created decades ago with the first developed around the time of 1890 according to 78rpm.

Lp s and 45 s can be recycled and you can minimize their impact on the environment by taking care of them in a responsible manner. Not because of the fact that there are no interesting diy things you can do with vinyl records you don t need anymore but because it s difficult to make them into the shape you want. It s also smart to stake 5 10 of top of each other to give the chair more durability and stability. Recycling vinyl records isn t an easy task for anyone.

Early vinyl records spun at an rpm speed of 78 until 1949 when 45 and 33 rpm s were developed. If your records are not suitable for re use or re sale they will need to be disposed of in the rubbish bin. The vinyl industry would like to see more products diverted from the landfill and into recycling streams. Records were the only way to listen to recorded music until cassette tapes became available.

Tune in to the virtual vinyl recycling summit which will be hosted via webinar on june 18 2020 you can find out more information about the event here. The vinyl records can be heated up and shaped to be more comfortable as a seat and back too.