Lets talk about plectrums.... and the greener guitarist.

[Jondog]

D’Addario recycles,
https://earth911.com/business-policy/re ... -playback/

[Les Paul Lover]

D’Addario recycles,
https://earth911.com/business-policy/re ... -playback/

Wow!!!!
That's really pretty cool.
I'll switch to their strings I reckon when I'll have finished my current supplies.

I'm hoping they will accept non D'addario strings in that recycling scheme.

Damn, I always out my old strings in the recycling, thinking they could be recycled by my local council.

Thanks a lot Jondog!!!!

[Hubaxe]

I give my old string set to a friend that owns a guitar shop, he group them and they are sent to Africa for local musicians that can't access string supply. We are talking there about 20 kg of strings a year, not bad for an individual initiative.

[bclaire]

Wow... interesting. My old strings always go into recycling just like any other scrap metal that I ever find myself with: nuts, bolts, control arms, my old Bilsteins....

[Jondog]

I’m a Millwright Tradesman currently working at a municipal recycling recovery facility, so I repair/maintain much of the equipment used to sort materials. Some facilities are better than others but mostly they capture bulky items such as bottles, cans. Guitar strings might get picked up by a magnet, but more than likely were screened out to waste before they reached that point in the process. A lot of it boils down to the facility design though. Things like strings really need specialized process to recover. Theres quite a lot that goes to landfill because it’s too small such as bottle caps, tiny glass, fine paper shreds etc...A lot of stuff goes to lanfill because citizens didn’t take time to sort correctly or clean food covered items properly. The buyers/recyclers of the recovered material won’t take it if it’s what they consider “contaminated”.
Your control arm would more than likely be picked up by a magnet and thrown to the recovered steel bin, if it doesn’t jam up the screen first causing the maintenance guy (me) to get called to find out whats wrong

[Les Paul Lover]

I give my old string set to a friend that owns a guitar shop, he group them and they are sent to Africa for local musicians that can't access string supply. We are talking there about 20 kg of strings a year, not bad for an individual initiative.

Thats a pretty cool thing to organise and get going.

[Jondog]

I give my old string set to a friend that owns a guitar shop, he group them and they are sent to Africa for local musicians that can't access string supply. We are talking there about 20 kg of strings a year, not bad for an individual initiative.

Thats a pretty cool thing to organise and get going.

Sure is!

[bclaire]

I’m a Millwright Tradesman currently working at a municipal recycling recovery facility, so I repair/maintain much of the equipment used to sort materials. Some facilities are better than others but mostly they capture bulky items such as bottles, cans. Guitar strings might get picked up by a magnet, but more than likely were screened out to waste before they reached that point in the process. A lot of it boils down to the facility design though. Things like strings really need specialized process to recover. Theres quite a lot that goes to landfill because it’s too small such as bottle caps, tiny glass, fine paper shreds etc...A lot of stuff goes to lanfill because citizens didn’t take time to sort correctly or clean food covered items properly. The buyers/recyclers of the recovered material won’t take it if it’s what they consider “contaminated”.
Your control arm would more than likely be picked up by a magnet and thrown to the recovered steel bin, if it doesn’t jam up the screen first causing the maintenance guy (me) to get called to find out whats wrong

Wow... good to know. We had a guy from the company that does our recycling at school come in and give a talk. One of the things he said was that jars and cans used for food didn't need to be cleaned. I'm guessing that different recycling facilities all have their own ways of dealing with stuff.

Like I always throw my daily wear contact lens plastic trays (that have the triangle) in recycling but it sounds like they may be too small to be actually recycled....

[Jondog]

I’m a Millwright Tradesman currently working at a municipal recycling recovery facility, so I repair/maintain much of the equipment used to sort materials. Some facilities are better than others but mostly they capture bulky items such as bottles, cans. Guitar strings might get picked up by a magnet, but more than likely were screened out to waste before they reached that point in the process. A lot of it boils down to the facility design though. Things like strings really need specialized process to recover. Theres quite a lot that goes to landfill because it’s too small such as bottle caps, tiny glass, fine paper shreds etc...A lot of stuff goes to lanfill because citizens didn’t take time to sort correctly or clean food covered items properly. The buyers/recyclers of the recovered material won’t take it if it’s what they consider “contaminated”.
Your control arm would more than likely be picked up by a magnet and thrown to the recovered steel bin, if it doesn’t jam up the screen first causing the maintenance guy (me) to get called to find out whats wrong

Wow... good to know. We had a guy from the company that does our recycling at school come in and give a talk. One of the things he said was that jars and cans used for food didn't need to be cleaned. I'm guessing that different recycling facilities all have their own ways of dealing with stuff.

Like I always throw my daily wear contact lens plastic trays (that have the triangle) in recycling but it sounds like they may be too small to be actually recycled....

It’s ok to a degree, a lot of it is up to the companies buying the sorted recycables and their process. Everything gets baled and bundled up and loaded on trucks out to the recyclers. Some have said they won’t take it if it isn’t clean enough for them. Politics unfortunately get involved too, here in Canada anyways. One municipality is allowed this, another municipality allowed that but not the other and it’s sometimes all going to the same place. Boston has a good facility. A couple of my co-workers went there for some research on equipment and were impressed. Europe and the UK are heaps ahead of North America, but they have to be or they’d be living in a landfill.

[Les Paul Lover]

I’m a Millwright Tradesman currently working at a municipal recycling recovery facility, so I repair/maintain much of the equipment used to sort materials. Some facilities are better than others but mostly they capture bulky items such as bottles, cans. Guitar strings might get picked up by a magnet, but more than likely were screened out to waste before they reached that point in the process. A lot of it boils down to the facility design though. Things like strings really need specialized process to recover. Theres quite a lot that goes to landfill because it’s too small such as bottle caps, tiny glass, fine paper shreds etc...A lot of stuff goes to lanfill because citizens didn’t take time to sort correctly or clean food covered items properly. The buyers/recyclers of the recovered material won’t take it if it’s what they consider “contaminated”.
Your control arm would more than likely be picked up by a magnet and thrown to the recovered steel bin, if it doesn’t jam up the screen first causing the maintenance guy (me) to get called to find out whats wrong

That's a great insight Jondog, thank you very much for sharing.
The sort of knowledge I missed until recently. I knew our recycling had to be clean before it went out (or at least a thourough tap rinse with no visible food scrap).

I didn't know that most caps / lid wouldn't be picked up as judged too small to handle. A bit disappointing as those quantities soon add up to quite large volumes!

I'm going to contact D'addario and find out if they have a similar scheme in the UK or Europe. Otherwise, I'll consider saving my old string and occasionally send them over.

Thanks again Jondog. Very interesting.

[Jondog]

I think the biggest offenders are peanut butter jars! Just a rinse in most stuff is more than enough. But as I said every facility is different, some may have a process for plastic caps and such. I see most of it go to landfill. One of the reasons bulk packages of disposable/recyclable 500ml/1L water bottles are not good for your home or in general.

[Stu Cazz]

I have to change my strings?....

Seriously now, I do all I can to avoid the use of plastics, but it seems our lifes in todays world is made of it.

I tried some differnt pick materials with interesting sounding results.

For example a few diffent coins, sounded great to me.
But I disliked the feel and hated having my fingers full of metal dust.

Some stones like quartz sound awesome especially for jazz stuff.

But in the end I always go back to my V-Picks, buying such expensive picks makes me remember better were I put them.
And yeah, it's plastic but at leas they last for ever. I still use the first Screamer I bought, It isn't pointy anymore and feels and sounds amazing.

[Les Paul Lover]

I have to change my strings?....

Seriously now, I do all I can to avoid the use of plastics, but it seems our lifes in todays world is made of it.

I tried some differnt pick materials with interesting sounding results.

For example a few diffent coins, sounded great to me.
But I disliked the feel and hated having my fingers full of metal dust.

Some stones like quartz sound awesome especially for jazz stuff.

But in the end I always go back to my V-Picks, buying such expensive picks makes me remember better were I put them.
And yeah, it's plastic but at leas they last for ever. I still use the first Screamer I bought, It isn't pointy anymore and feels and sounds amazing.

You can't beat yourself over it, plastic is unavoidable.

I simply try to use other materials were I can, as long as I can guesstimate that the alternative isn't worse. I try to avoid single use plastics too if I can, and plectrums definitely aren't single use items.

My last plectrums have been bought 3 or 4 years ago, and I still have the 5 I bought... I've gotten good at not losing them!!!!

As for strings (or all other purchases we make) we sometimes have a choice of suppliers. Some are good at using recycled materials, others good at making their packaging and products fully recyclable.

So once one knows, one can make an educated decision.
Let's not hide it, the more responsible suppliers spend money ensuring the correct sourcing and recyclability of their materials, and in some cases that results in an extra cost.
Then the consumer, knowing it, has to make a decision, and vote with their wallets.

[Les Paul Lover]

A follow up....


D'addario does recycle strings, and they're happy to recycle any strings sent to them. The only down point is that the user must cover postage.

I inquired with a few other brands, none other do this.

In other news....

I'm buying a guitar stand..... made of recycled plastic.
A USA made (or designed at least) cooperstand guitar stand.

Really neat design, not particularly expensive, folds very neatly in a bag or whatever so that you can take it along with you anywhere. And made out of recycled plastic!!!!

I'll report back when I get It!

[Les Paul Lover]

I got it!




Lovely little thing.
Folds pretty small, very compact, will fit in any gig bag.

It doesn't look like it opens very wide, but it's very sturdy with a guitar on it.





Overall very happy with it. It feels solid, it's super small. Great little practice/ gig bag stand.

And my 1st recycled plastic guitar related purchase!!!!!