Ordering Vinyl More Sustainably
Having vinyl on your merch table is legit. It’s also a sign of, “wow, I’m an artist serious enough to invest in vinyl for my music”, which is a huge milestone. But it's easy to forget that vinyl is just plastic, and every pressing decision your band makes has an impact.
Being a more sustainable band doesn't mean giving up vinyl. It just means making a few smarter calls when you're filling out that order form. Here's what we've learned.
Go for regrind (aka the "house mix")
This is the easiest win on the list. Regrind — or called on our website "house mix" — is PVC that's been reground from records that didn't pass quality control, plus vinyl scraps left over from other pressings. It's not "lesser than" vinyl, it's just recycled. It's cheaper, it keeps usable material out of the landfill, and honestly, it has comparable sound to vinyl made with new PVC. Something especially unique about using regrind is that your project contains other projects within it. Recently at Hellbender, we pressed a Brain Wilson record. It was a 3000 count order, which means we have a lot of regrind from that project. In a way, Brian Wilson’s record could be part of your record.
Skip the shrinkwrap
This one barely needs an explanation, but shrinkwrap exists for about four seconds of shelf appeal before someone tears it off and throws it away. It's single-use plastic with a single job, and that job isn't essential. Your record will survive the trip to a fan's house without it. Plus, it's expensive!
Keep it local
Overseas pressing plants might catch your eye with pricing or turnaround, but shipping records across oceans burns a lot of fuel to get there. Pressing closer to home cuts down on transportation emissions. Shop local when you can.
Skip the extras
Inserts, posters, stickers tucked in the sleeve — they're fun little treats, but they're also just more stuff that, more often than not, ends up in a drawer and eventually the trash. If it's not essential to the release, consider leaving it out. Save the extras for things people will actually keep using, like a well-made shirt or tote.
Only press what you'll actually sell
It's tempting to go big on your first run because bigger orders come with a better per-unit price. But if you can't realistically sell 500 records, don't order 500 records. Order what you know you can move. Fewer unsold records sitting in a closet means less material manufactured in the first place — and that's the most sustainable choice there is.
None of this requires overhauling how you make music or how you release it. It's just a handful of small, deliberate choices that add up. Your band, your vinyl, a little less waste.
