The Hipcycle Materials Series: Vinyl Records

This blog post was written by Hipcycle Intern Extraordinaire, Evan Hopkins. Would you like to intern for Hipcycle? Let us know!

With the rise of CD’s and MP3 players, vinyl records have become something of a niche market. Nevertheless, the world still collectively churns out about 15 billion pounds of vinyl every year. While the vast majority (70 percent) is used in construction components, vinyl records still represent a sizeable chunk in the usage of vinyl.

But not all of these records are lucky enough to end up in record stores or in a music lover’s collection. Many end up in garbage dumps, where it takes up to two years for the record to begin to biodegrade. Thankfully, there is a growing trend of recycling and repurposing these relics of yesteryear.

Vinyl is an incredibly durable material, with many uses. Thus, with the thousands upon thousands of vinyl records sitting around unused and unplayable, it was inevitable that this useful vinyl would be repurposed. When these records are collected, the first step in their journey into being recycled is to be thoroughly cleaned. Next, the records are ground into tiny pellets, which are about as coarse as sand. These pellets can then be used to make new items, such as garden hoses, pool liners, and shoe soles. However, most recycled vinyl goes into making construction components, such as PVC pipes and roofing.

“But what if I don’t want to chop my vinyl records into tiny bits? I love how they look, but I still want to reuse them,” I hear you say. Well, friend, you’re in luck. Upcyclers realize the je ne sais quoi of vinyl records, and have found interesting, inventive ways to put vinyl records back to work. You can find everything from clocks, to guitar picks, to bowls that utilize repurposed vinyl records.

Applying some heat and some cutting tools, and there are endless possibilities. Check out the Hipcycle collection here. There is even a rumor that the Chief Hipcycler is coming to the blog soon with a tutorial for an upcycled vinyl record something or other...stay tuned!