Black gold on repeat – vinyl recycling at Record Industry
It defies the ravages of time again and again, celebrating a seemingly endless comeback – the vinyl record. A traditional company from Haarlem, Record Industry, is partly responsible for its peak in the 1970s, as well as for the modern-day boom. Since 1958, the company west of Amsterdam has been producing thousands of records in all sorts of colors every day. To ensure not a single gram of the precious PVC plastic is wasted, Record Industry recycles production waste directly on-site using shredding technology from WEIMA and Wanner.
Vinyl shredding and recycling
Analogue technology is trending
While many pressing plants were forced to close in the late 1990s due to the rise of the compact disc (CD), the record industry has managed to successfully maintain its position in the music business to this day. This is now paying off, as records have once again become a sought-after medium in recent years, appreciated not only by music lovers. In addition to nostalgia and their collectible value, the quality of analog sound is increasingly preferred.
One-stop shop for artists
The company’s manufacturing process demonstrates that seemingly outdated technology can indeed pursue modern sustainability goals. Record Industry sees itself as a full-service provider. Artists can have music recorded and mixed directly in its in-house recording studio. Next, the audio is cut into either a lacquer disc or copper plate (DMM) using a cutting lathe, which translates the audio signal into a modulated groove. This master is then processed through several steps in a galvanic (electroplating) process to create stampers, metal molds that are used to press the grooves into vinyl, producing the final record.
Highly automated production processes
During the pressing process, so-called pucks (shaped similar to those used in ice hockey) made of special PVC are used. Pressure and heat are used to form the pucks into thin records. After a short cooling period, they are automatically placed in paper sleeves for protection. The final step is packaging in the appropriate covers and sleeves. The record is ready for sale and playback.
From the puck to the plate – and back again
During each pressing process, a process-related overhang of PVC material approximately 20 mm wide is created on the outside – the remaining part of the puck. This is sheared off, giving the record its final circular shape. Therefore, next to each of the nearly 40 pressing machines is a compact C-series cutting mill from Wanner in Wertheim, Germany. The production waste is automatically ejected from the pressing machine and fed into the cutting mill’s hopper. Within seconds, the cuttings are shredded into approximately 4 mm flakes and fed to the extruder via a mixing valve. This eliminates waste, as the edge trimmings are processed directly inline.
Occasionally, pucks or individual records do not meet Record Industry’s quality standards. Since the pucks are too bulky and the records too large for the small, stand-alone granulators, they must be processed separately. For this purpose, Record Industry set up an additional recycling line in the building next to the pressing machines. A WEIMA WLK 4 single-shaft shredder for shredding primarily mixed PVC waste went into operation there at the end of 2024. Material can be fed manually or by forklift from big bags via a conveyor belt. The WEIMA shredder pre-shreds the PVC into approximately 25 mm flakes before it is further shredded into approximately 4 mm granules via another conveyor belt equipped with a metal detector in a Wanner Dynamic Series granulator. To improve the processability of the material, the resulting recyclate is passed through a dedusting system to remove the fine dust from the regrind.
Colorful diversity for sustainable products
The end product is high-quality PVC flakes that can be reused in the record pressing process. The colorful mix of flakes creates a unique marbled color during pressing. Record Industry is proud that, with these colorful records, they now have a 100% recycled product in their portfolio. The conclusion to the collaboration with the shredding specialists at WEIMA and Wanner, as well as their partner Thiele & Kor Plastics Machinery from the Netherlands, is correspondingly positive:
"Thanks to the seamless collaboration with the technicians at WEIMA and Wanner, pressing our records is virtually waste-free. The project planning and implementation with Thiele & Kor Plastics Machinery was also very pleasant. We are now making maximum use of our material resources and can deliver a truly sustainable product to our artists. This reflects the spirit of the times and is also economically attractive for us."
