Recycled Vinyl:
How Warner Music Group Is Turning Unwanted Records Into the Industry Standard

The label group is proving that unsold vinyl can be reprocessed into new pressings without compromising sound or quality, and is now asking music fans for help.

In May, Warner Music Group quietly completed a test program that could change the future of vinyl.

The program, conducted in partnership with the world’s largest vinyl manufacturer, GZ Media, set out to answer one question: can recycled vinyl deliver the same sound quality?

GZ Media collected 10,000 unsold records across artists, titles and pressing plants throughout Europe and first shredded, then repressed them using a range of recyclable materials — from 10-100%. Next, a selection of industry experts were gathered at London’s famed Abbey Road Studios for a blind listening evaluation. Each vinyl passed.

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