Sonopress Begins EcoRecord Manufacturing in the US

Sonopress, the German-headquartered manufacturer of storage media, has commissioned the first production machine for EcoRecords at its new facility in Charlotte, North Carolina.

What is an EcoRecord?

• In short, a vinyl record produced sustainably.

• Instead of using polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the EcoRecord uses recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as its base material.

• The records are produced using a novel injection molding process that eliminates the use of natural gas and steam.

• The company claims this reduces environmental impact by up to 85% compared to conventional vinyl production.

• EcoRecord made its market debut just over a year ago, with Warner Music Group placing the first major order for the debut album by Liam Gallagher and John Squire.

• Since then, Ed Sheeran and Coldplay have used the alternative to traditional vinyl.

US operation:

• Sonopress’ new Charlotte facility has an annual production capacity of approximately one million EcoRecords.

What they said:

• Sonopress CEO Sven Deutschmann: “By launching production in the United States, we are pursuing our goal of scaling our sustainable manufacturing strategy internationally while enhancing proximity to our customers in the world’s key music markets.”