Records made from Cornwall's Ocean Plastic

A new charity record has been released - made from recycled plastic found in the ocean around Cornwall. Proceeds from sales of the multi-coloured vinyl disc are being donated to the environmental charity, Surfers Against Sewage, which works to combat ocean pollution.

The original recording by Mercury Prize-nominated musician Nick Mulvey, In the Anthropocene, inspired by the Atlantic Ocean, has been released on Ocean Vinyl, with all the proceeds going towards cleaning up the marine environment.



Ocean plastic problems

According to Surfers Against Sewage, around eight million pieces of plastic end up in the sea EVERY DAY! There are now an estimated 5.25 trillion macro and microplastic pieces floating around our oceans, weighing an incredible 269,000 tonnes.

This is having a disastrous effect on marine life, as creatures either ingest, or become entangled in, carelessly discarded plastic and as plastic is a strong, durable material (which is what makes it useful), unfortunately, this also makes it almost impossible to break down.

Plastic can last for hundreds of years in the ocean. Although it will fragment, very slowly, into smaller pieces, it never truly disappears. For example, a plastic bottle can last for 450 years. This means every piece of plastic which has been produced still exists, in some shape or form!

Fundraising record

Now, the plastic waste in the ocean around Cornwall is being put to good use - by recycling it into the fundraising record. The initiative is the result of a collaboration between Sharp's Brewery of Cornwall, English singer-songwriter Mulvey, Universal Music's UK creative agency The Globe and advertising agency Havas London.

Sharp?s Brewery recycled the plastic collected from local beaches, adding shards of colour manually to create the amazing, multi-coloured, 10-inch records. The title of the track - The Anthropocene - is the name for the earth's current geological age, where human activity has influenced the environment and climate.

Inspired by the sounds of the ocean, Mulvey agreed to record the track because he fully supports the environmental message behind the project. He says we live in a time of "urgent global crisis", and demands that the human race examines itself and stops taking from our planet, while giving nothing back.

Inspire future generations

Sharp's Brewery came up with the idea in 2018, using the waste on their own doorstep to do something positive. The resulting record contains two mixes of the song, In the Anthropocene.

Mulvey is described as "incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the effects of climate change". He has crafted the track into a piece of music that delivers this important message. The limited-edition record sold out within a few hours of its release, on 2nd October.

The singer tweeted to supporters that he was "overwhelmed by the response" to the record. He said, "My intention, when I was creating the song, was to build a bridge and give nature a platform - to give a voice to the future generations and inspire people to take bold and courageous action."

Single-use plastics

Although, at present, this is a one-off limited-edition record, it could be the future of the music industry, as it supports its efforts to boost sustainability. It could also tackle the problem of single-use plastics at concerts and festivals.

Solent Plastics promotes recycling and the responsible use of plastics ? we are as passionate about saving the planet as anyone! Our products are built to last for years and we don't sell single-use plastics.

We have a large range of recycled plastic containers and recycling waste bins to help individuals and organisations with their own recycling initiatives.