Discs bring risks
Vinyl records' resurgence means more toxic PVC
By Jesse Kinos-Goodin
Vinyl records, once the sole domain of audio purists and DJs, are once again becoming mainstream. While CD sales drop, vinyl sales are up 77 percent from last year, with everyone from indie acts to mainstays like Coldplay releasing vinyl versions of their music.
While this is great news for the music industry, there's one major problemÑvinyl, also known as PVC, is "the single most environmentally damaging of all plastics," according to Greenpeace. PVC, when heated, produces more carcinogenic dioxins than any other product and has been shown to cause health hazards like cancer and neurotoxicity. More records being pressed mean more dioxins in the environment. And if that's not bad enough, it's next to impossible to recycle.
So this holiday season, rather than buying a new LP for the record lover in your life, consider goods from companies that are finding creative ways to recycle old records. Etsy.com sells record carrying cases made from old records and sleeve artwork, 45ipodcases.com makes, you guessed it, iPod cases, and eco-artware.com makes everything from coasters to bowls. It's just not suggested you eat your hot morning oatmeal from your Abbey Road bowl, as PVC is not considered part of a balanced breakfast.
