The World’s First Bioplastic Vinyl Record

Back when rock was fab and one simply bought records, not chic “vinyl,” albums pressed in various colors were briefly popular. The fad didn’t last, although it would reappear periodically — umm, the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, anyone? Inevitably, we all went back to basic black, mostly because the sound quality of the color records was inferior. Now, a UK company called Evolution Music has introduced a green LP, but this time the color is more than a novelty — in fact, it’s pregnant with meaning. As you can see in the embedded tweet, this is the world’s first bioplastic vinyl record. Given the timing, you might think — as I did — that this is an Earth Day marketing gimmick. Not entirely. The record was released in connection with Music Declares Emergency’s Turn Up the Volume Week, which happens to be April 18 to 24. Earth Day, of course, is April 22, so there is overlap. The mission of this awkwardly named week is to invite the global music community to “remove fossil fuels, protect biodiversity, and implement social justice.” It also wants you to share the message, “No Music on a Dead Planet.” You can find out more about this movement at musicdeclares.net. The bioplastic vinyl record from Evolution Music does check the “remove fossil fuels” box. Not sure about biodiversity or social justice, but maybe the music and lyrics have something to say about that. I have to ask, though: Is this a solution looking for a problem?