Coldplay is going to re-release their catalogue on recycled vinyl that’s hopefully not like the old crap from the end of the 70s.

Vinyl records aren’t friendly to the environment. They’re made of polyvinyl chloride, a petrochemical byproduct that comes with a big carbon footprint attached. Once manufactured, this plastic compound takes thousands of years to decompose.

Coldplay, always looking to be more eco-friendly, plans to re-release all their albums as EcoRecords. They look and feel like regular vinyl but are made from recycled plastic bottles. They’re “produced using injection-moulding technology” which “reduces carbon emissions during manufacture by an impressive 85% compared with traditional vinyl production.”

A spokesperson at Coldplay’s label, Parlophone, says that the band’s releases are “a testament to what’s possible when innovation meets intention. It’s not just about a new product; it’s about pioneering manufacturing that significantly reduces environmental impact, providing fans with the same high-quality audio experience while setting a new standard for physical music production.”

I can’t say that I’ve ever heard any music from an EcoRecord, so I can’t tell you if they sound any good. But Coldplay wouldn’t release anything substandard, right? Some of us still remember the poor-sounding vinyl we got out of the 1970s oil crisis. When the cost of fresh polyvinyl chloride went up, labels resorted to recycling old records. This PVC was filled with all kinds of impurities and junk. They sounded awful, warped quickly, and was easily damaged.

Apparently, though, technology has come a long way. There are options beyond EcoRecords, too. Read more here.