MUSI3041 Assignment 4: Agnes Wu
Ecological Sustainability of Electric Guitar Disposable Parts
Introduction
I will be exploring the life cycle of disposable electric guitar parts, namely the strings, batteries, and guitar picks. Their significance lies in their identity as consumables; they are made to be consumed then discarded. As we go through their respective journeys starting from extraction, production, to disposal, their ecological and social impacts would be explored, along with eco-minded options to minimize their carbon footprints.
Materials
Prior to 1973, guitar picks were traditionally made of tortoiseshell and was only banned when the Atlantic Hawksbill Turtle became endangered. Its role in perpetuating animal cruelty requires no further discussion. Celluloid, a cruelty-free bioplastic, has since replaced tortoiseshell as the most commercially sold pick. Guitar picks could be made from a wide range of materials, depending on the style of music and personal taste. But celluloid picks are a popular alternative to tortoiseshell picks as they both share similar tone qualities.
Electric guitars use strings usually made from a nickel-steel alloy, and 9-volt lithium ion batteries (LIBs) that consist primarily of lithium, a highly toxic substance.
Extraction and Production
LIBs’ negative environmental impact starts from its extraction method. Lithium is extracted through a process called “water-mining”, and as hinted from its name, requires large amounts of water. The largest reserves of lithium is mostly found in Argentina, Bolivia and Chile, which has been coined the “Lithium Triangle”. A study has shown that extracting one ton of lithium requires 500,000 gallons of water. Not only has this caused widespread disruption to the natural water cycle, surrounding vegetation has also become a victim of collateral damage due to the excessive water drainage. (Ahmad 2020)
The process of battery manufacturing is also laden with toxic materials, leading to the contamination of wastewater that is hazardous to all lifeforms when disposed of.
Although celluloid picks do not pose the same environmental threats as LIBs, its extraction equally stems from the unsustainable cultural practice of colonization, displacing countless indigenous natives. The production of celluloid requires camphor, a material derived from trees specific to indigenous land in Taiwan, which has unfortunately been the epicenter of the commercialization of forests between nations, often leading to the subduing of its native inhabitants. (Altman 2022)
Hazardous materials: human health
Not only do batteries pose health risks for humans, it is less widely known that electric guitar strings could also be hazardous to human health. This is due to the corrosion process of steel strings over time. The accumulation of human sweat contributes to the decaying and eventually breaking of the string. Continuous use of oxidized strings could cause dermatological problems like nickel salt allergy, a common ailment among professional guitar players. (Rezić, Ćurković, Ujević 2010)
Disposal: environmental impact
Steel strings, picks, and batteries succumb to the same fate like most trash; they are taken to the landfill once their lifetime warranty ends.
Electric guitar strings contribute to around 1.5 million lbs of metal waste annually. Apart from that, the copious amounts of string packaging should not be neglected. Most strings are sold in a plastic sleeve, with individual paper inserts for each string. Many brands also use a wax coating to print their logos on the packaging. As a result, “players are faced with a lot of packaging which more often than not ends up in the bin.” (Stringsdirect 2020)
While the electric guitar’s 9-volt batteries have a reasonable lifespan of around 20 playing hours, this is a commodity used in every single electric guitar, which could cause significant environmental impact when the numbers accumulate. Not to mention the exponentially higher battery usage with professional and touring musicians.
Moreover, the difference between general household waste and household hazardous waste is not well understood. Oftentimes, the discarded batteries are treated as household waste. (Slack, Gronow, Voulvoulis 2005) The problem is that unlike industrial waste streams, household hazardous waste is unregulated, thus prone to improper disposal. Not only are the chemicals from batteries a danger to human health, they are equally as hazardous for the environment. The improper disposal of batteries leads to the leachate of toxic gas and water, which could seep into the soil and pose a risk to nearby vegetation. Widespread soil toxification could in turn poison our crops, coming full circle.
Alternatives: Upcycling
There are various organizations and ways that help mitigate the effects of the guitar industry. For example, picks could be upcycled as nail prosthesis for progressive nail lichen planus patients, (Gupta 2021) and Ansmann USA has produced rechargeable batteries that could be used in wireless guitars and amps, significantly cutting battery costs for touring musicians. (Reesman 2016)
Most famously is D’addario’s Playback string recycling program. Many recycling systems do not accept steel strings due to the metal alloys which would complicate the recycling process. Consequently, D’addario set up this program to encourage players to recycle strings, as they would be rewarded with players points to purchase from their brand. (Reesman 2016)
Asides from upcycling strings, there are also more eco-friendly alternatives to string packaging. Rotosound, a British music strings manufacturing company, produces recyclable packaging that is made of a single piece of heat-sealed foil. Asides from being recyclable, it is also more compact, just 10% of the usual size, rendering shipping easier, thus further reducing its carbon footprint and emissions. (Rotosound).
Conclusion
Although the guitar industry has shown efforts to alleviate their environmental impact, there are fundamental problems to be addressed, such as the mode of extraction and materials used. Drastic measures to be taken to reform the industry’s waste issue.
Ahmad, Samar. 2020. “The Lithium Triangle: Where Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia Meet.” Harvard International Review. January 15, 2020. https://hir.harvard.edu/lithium-triangle/
Altman, Rebecca. "Five myths about plastics." The Washington Post. January 14, 2022.
Gupta, Mohit Kumar, and Shari R. Lipner. “Guitar Pick as a Nail Prosthesis for Progressive Nail Lichen Planus.” Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 84, no. 1 (2021): e3–e4.
Rezić, I., L. Ćurković, and M. Ujević. “Study of Microstructure and Corrosion Kinetic of Steel Guitar Strings in Artificial Sweat Solution: Corrosion Kinetic of Steel Guitar Strings.” Materials and corrosion 61, no. 6 (2010): 524–529.
Rotosound: The fascinating story of Great Britain's Rotosound Music Strings
Slack, R.J., J.R. Gronow, and N. Voulvoulis. “Household Hazardous Waste in Municipal Landfills: Contaminants in Leachate.” The Science of the total environment 337, no. 1 (2005): 119–137.
Tao, Yanqiu, Christopher D Rahn, Lynden A Archer, and Fengqi You. “Second Life and Recycling: Energy and Environmental Sustainability Perspectives for High-Performance Lithium-Ion Batteries.” Science advances 7, no. 45 (2021): eabi7633–eabi7633.
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