VRMA Launches Second Vinyl Industry Carbon Footprint Report

The Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association (VRMA) has released its Second Carbon Footprint Report, offering the most detailed analysis yet of greenhouse gas emissions across the vinyl record supply chain.

A major takeaway from the report is that distribution-related emissions can sometimes exceed those from manufacturing, shifting the focus toward a full lifecycle approach to sustainability. This broader view encourages smarter procurement decisions and supply chain strategies, rather than focusing solely on factory-level emissions.

The report was unveiled during the recent Making Vinyl conference in Memphis.

Key findings include:

• Pressing compounds remain the largest manufacturing emissions source, with conventional PVC generating between 2.06 and 2.75 kg CO₂e per kg, depending on supplier and energy mix.

• Bio-attributed PVC compounds (e.g., BioVinyl, EcoVin) offer partial climate advantages by incorporating bio-based feedstocks, but under GHG Protocol standards, biogenic carbon removals are not subtracted—keeping their reported emissions similar to conventional PVC.

• Emerging materials such as PET and PLA show mixed results. PET averages 2.58 kg CO₂e per kg, while PLA ranges from 1.7 to 3.5 kg CO₂e per kg, depending on feedstock and methodology.

• Recycling unsold records helps, but the report emphasizes that avoiding overproduction through accurate demand forecasting is a more effective emissions reduction strategy.

The full Second Carbon Footprint Report is available free at www.vrmagroup.org.